These 20 Celebrities Have All Invested in Plant-Based Food Companies

Celebrities keep the public "in the know." With their hit singles, movies, and the gossip they create, America's superstars inform the public about what is in vogue in fashion, music, and now more than ever, food. In recent years, major celebrities have positioned their investments in the growing vegan food industry, promoting healthy and sustainable eating to their wide fanbases. Athletes, musicians, actors, and media moguls have fueled the plant-based market with substantial investments, promotions, and even some advertisements. The vegan lifestyle is officially "in."

Star-studded investments have helped propel the vegan industry to unprecedented heights. Last August, Bloomberg Intelligence revealed that the plant-based market is expected to exceed $162 billion by 2030, growing 451 percent from its 2020 market value. With the help of celebrity investments, the vegan market is expected to expand as consumers more widely accept plant-based living. While the money certainly helps, the celebrity investments' real impact is leading by example.

While some celebs involved in the vegan market truly are vegan, most of them do not follow a plant-based diet. So, why do they support plant-based brands? Leonardo DiCaprio – who is not vegan – supports several plant-based brands to bring attention to the importance of sustainability when it comes to the climate crisis. Recently, the Oscar Award-winning actor starred in the climate change commentary comedy-drama Don't Look Up. Others star investors including tennis legends and sisters Venus and Serena Williams show that plant-based foods don't jeopardize your athletic abilities.

The celebrity investment market ranges from major companies including Impossible Foods and JUST Egg to smaller startups such as Partake Foods and La Vie. In true celebrity fashion, these 20 icons are leading by example, showing fans everywhere why plant-based living is trending.

Queen B consistently uses her platform and money to promote both Black-owned businesses and vegan brands. Her BeyGOOD Initiative partners with the NAACP to help vegan company Herban Eats and the Memphis vegan eatery, The Pink Bakery.

The NBA player has worked closely with the brand to bring nutritious drinks to underserved communities over the US.

Drake joined up with D1 Capital Partners to help vegan chicken company Daring Foods secure $40 million during its last investment round.

Celebrity couple Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi became one of the first major investors in the major alternative dairy company Miyoko's Creamery in 2019. Since then, the brand's founder Miyoko Schinner has fought meat and dairy giants to allow vegan products to use words like "butter" and "milk" on their labels.

Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the latest celebrity investors in Eat Just – the California-based food tech company responsible for JUST Egg and GOOD Meat. Gyllenhaal participated in the brand's most recent "Really Good Eggs" parody advertisement.

Media mogul turned vegan giant Jay-Z invests in big plant-based brands including Impossible Foods and Oatly, but also branches out to smaller food brands such as Simulate (responsible for NUGGs) and Partake Foods. He also invests in the salad chain Sweetgreen.

Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio is one of Hollywood's most vocal environmental activists. DiCaprio keeps to his sustainable promises when it comes to vegan investments, supporting brands including Beyond Meat, plant-based dairy company Califia Farms, and vegan snack brand Hippeas.

Shark Tank's Mark Cuban helps propel several plant-based businesses with significant investments. During his time on the show, Cuban has invested in Mrs. Goldfarb's Unreal Deli, Pan's Mushroom Jerky, Everything Legendary, Delighted By Desserts, Veggie Mama, and others. The Shark Tank judge is one of the biggest proponents of rising vegan food brands.

Thor: Love and Thunder star Natalie Portman joins Jay-Z in investing in Oatly. Portman also invests in vegan bacon company La Vie – set to partner with Burger King France – and vegan meat company Tender Foods.

Along with Jay-Z and Natalie Portman, Oprah helped Oatly secure its $200 million investment package in 2020. The investment package happened nearly a year before the company went public in May 2021.

Known as the original influencer, Paris Hilton remains ahead of the curve. In 2020, Hilton invested in Gathered Foods – the parent company of vegan seafood brand Good Catch. Founded by Chad and Derek Sarno, Good Catch has become one of the most prominent vegan seafood companies on the market.

Through his venture capital company Electric Feel Ventures, Post Malone helped secure a $2.3 million funding round for Actual Veggies – a plant-based burger company that distinguishes its patties with its natural ingredients.

Though Rihanna primarily invests in sustainable fashion and beauty, the Grammy Award winner also supports Partake Foods along with Jay-Z. Rihanna helped the WOC-owned cookie company secure $4.8 million dollars at the beginning of 2021.

Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. is bringing his iconic Marvel character to life with his vegan philanthropy. The actor has invested in vegan bacon company MyForest Foods (previously AtLast Foods) and more recently, the new food tech company Motif Foodworks – known for its advanced food technology APPEXTEX. He also invests in the eco-friendly brand Nobell Foods, which is responsible for replicating dairy proteins.

From Blink-182 to the Kardashians, Travis Barker recently returned to the mainstream. The famous drummer is an investor in the acclaimed vegan restaurant Crossroads Kitchen. The vegan restaurant can be found in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and soon, Calabasas.

With Jake Gyllenhaal, Tennis Champion Serena Williams joined JUST Egg's recent "Really Good Eggs" campaign. Before this, the world-renowned athlete helped vegan frozen food company Daily Harvest secure $43 million.

Woody Harrelson has been vegan for nearly 30 years, and his investment portfolio reflects that. Recently, the True Detective actor invested in vegan meat brand Abbot's Butcher with his long-time friend Owen Wilson. Harrelson also invested in Gathered Food with Paris Hilton in 2020.

The athlete joined PlantX as an ambassador to help promote the benefits of a plant-based diet and dispel myths about lack of nutrition, especially for athletes.

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Sir James Paul McCartney is no stranger to a meat-free life as he's been vegetarian for 45 years. He initially went vegetarian in 1975 with his first wife Linda McCartney and began his advocacy for animal rights.

If you find yourself constantly singing along to the song The Greatest, then you're already a Sia fan. Sia tweeted that she is "fully vegan now" back in 2014 and stays true to her word

Way back at the start of Grey's Anatomy, Sandra Oh took the cast out for a plant-based lunch at Truly Vegan in Hollywood. In her effort to inspire contemporaries to eat vegan, the TV star is known to invite her friends for vegan meals that are delicious. She adopted the vegan lifestyle years ago and continues to quietly live a cruelty-free life.

Giselle revealed that when she was at the peak of her modeling career, her diet consisted of "cigarettes, wine, and mocha Frappuccinos," according to an interview in People Magazine. Now 39 and the mother of two children, Gisele eats a "mostly" plant-based diet to nourish her body and stay fueled.

Alec Baldwin has made a bigger commitment to plant-based eating since he was first told by doctors that he was pre-diabetic and needed to change his diet. That was decades ago. But, over the last few years, he's been vocal about the benefits not only to his health but also the impact plant-based eating has on the environment.

We all remember Pamela Anderson as the curvaceous blonde in the hit series Baywatch as she played Casey Jean in the red one-piece swimsuit that brought her world-class fame. She is a life-long active animal rights advocate and teamed up with PETA to join the Animal Protection Organization.

"We shouldn't eat as much meat guys," Kristen Stewart told GQ in an interview in January. The Twilight star has made a full 180 from vampire to vegan. When she appeared on the game show "Hot Ones" she chose to skip the wings and instead compete by eating increasing spicier sauce on vegan cauliflower wings.

This award-winning actor eats a high-protein diet consisting of only plants. Leto, who has been plant-based for 20 years, says it keeps him "shredded" in an interview. Now, 48, Leto looks half his age.

Jaden Smith switched up his diet from vegan to vegetarian, meaning that he doesn't eat meat but does eat dairy from time to time. In a recent article by Plant Based News, Smith admits he skipped meals and was not getting the proper nutrition when he was vegan, but this hasn't stopped him from espousing the plant-based life.

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex has never admitted to being fully vegan, but sources say, she eats a plant-based diet most days during the week. She is teaching Prince Harry vegan cooking and in a Plant-Based News article, Markle explained how she hopes to raise baby Archie on a mostly vegan diet.

As a professional athlete, fueling the body is a key factor to Willaim's successes. In a Bon Appetite article, she explained that she adopted a plant-based diet back in 2012, she was eating a lot "healthier" for her sister, Venus, who eats a strict vegan diet for health reasons.

The popular grocery store, Whole Foods Market sells vegan products and nonvegan products which arises black lash from ethical vegans as CEO John Mackey follows a strict vegan diet. The successful businessman grew up in Houston Texas and told Business Insider that he would traditionally eat processed foods for dinner while watching TV with his family. Now, Mackey steers clear from the processed isle and eats a clean vegan diet and feels amazing at the age of 65.

Jason Mraz, singer of the popular song, I'm Yours, committed to a vegan diet to support his friend diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Mraz says he eats mostly raw food and told magazine sources his favorite vegan dish is "Chocomole, a mixture of avocados, dates, cacao, agave nectar, and coconut oil."

Long time vegan, Leona Lewis grew up in a vegan household and continues to eat a plant-based diet. Lewis first adopted the diet at 12 when she learned about the health risks of eating animal products but told Women's Health Magazine she occasionally eats an omelet. She also mentioned her 2:30 lunch is normally a kale salad topped with dried cranberries and she loves a veggie stir-fry for dinner.

Hannah Teter changed her diet after watching the documentary, Earthlings when she discovered how "horrible" factory farming is. After a strict vegetarian diet, Teter liked the way she performed as an athlete and believes that her diet helped her win gold at the 2006 games.

You may recognize Maggie Q as the star of the Nikita series, but in the plant-based world, she's well-known for her heroic activism. Maggie Q has followed a strict vegan diet for 19 years, making her a true veteran of the lifestyle. She made the plant-based diet transition because she felt sluggish and had low energy, she has said. The famous actress keeps in shape by eating veggies and plant-based protein and working out with a passion.

Winner of the first Masterchef vegan cook-off with Gordon Ramsay, Madelaine Petsch was raised vegetarian and went completely vegan at age 14. She claims that she started this diet before it was "trendy" and shot a campaign for PETA last year wearing a dress made of bok choy. Petsch says her vegan diet allows her to feel "healthier" and not "lethargic."

After doing a little sleuthing on her social media platforms we think Millie Bobbi Brown qualifies as plant-based. Whether or not she is actually skipping all meat and dairy, one thing is for sure: She eats mostly salads, vegetables and grains and lives a predominantly plant-based lifestyle full of healthy foods.

The grammy-nominated sisters went vegan for a week with their mom but liked it so much they decided to stick with it. For one thing, it helps keep their "voices in shape" by eating a vegan diet and they emphasize the fact that dairy helps to limit extra mucus build-up, according to a PETA interview.

Best known for her role as Lizzie Mcguire in the long-running series, Hilary Duff is a recent vegan advocate and entrepreneur. She recently launched the vegan and cruelty-free eyeshadow palette, "Day Dreamer" and changed her diet to plant-based last fall.