Move over, ‘Crazy Rich Asians’! Meet the filthy rich cast of ‘Bling Empire’
If you think that the lives of the wealthy Asians in the fictional film Crazy Rich Asians were exaggerated, then Bling Empire will show you that it's exactly what it is and more.
Netflix's new reality show follows a group of insanely wealthy Asians in Los Angeles, California, giving the viewers a glimpse of their extravagant lives—private jets, personal shoppers, and private parties at the Rodeo Drive—as well as their personal and romantic lives.
We know they're rich, but what we wanna know is how much they're worth and why they're even rich? Here, meet the cast of Bling Empire.
Anna Shay
Net Worth: $600 million
Anna Shay is that super fun, crazy rich tita who would take you to a shopping spree in Paris via her private jet on your birthday. But why is this charming and lovable millionaire that loaded?
Well, her dad Edward Shay is a billionaire and founder of Pacific Architects and Engineers (PAE), an American defense and government services contractor, which is worth over $2 billion; and her mom Ai Shay is the granddaughter of Alexander Stephanovich Yahovich, a Russian count who was Czar Nicholas II's ambassador to China.
When the father died in 1995, Anna and her brother Allen inherited the company. About 11 years later, the siblings sold it to Lockheed Martin for $1.2 billion, which the two split in half.
Cherie Chan
Net worth: $200 million
The sweet and down-to-earth mom-of-two Cherie Chan is an heiress to an “undisclosed denim empire.” She is Chinese and is engaged to a furniture empire heir, Jessey Chan.
Cherie used to be a singer in Japan, but because of her late mom’s disapproval, she had to quit. Now, she and her fiancé are running a tequila company called Religion Tequila, and together they are worth $200 million.
Christine Chiu
Net worth: $80 million
When Christine Chiu is not hosting exclusive parties at Rodeo Drive, she’s either collecting couture, supporting charitable endeavors, or managing Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery.
In the series, the 38-year-old Taiwanese philanthropist revealed that Dr. Chiu’s family is technically royalty. Dr. Chiu is the 25th direct descendant of the Song dynasty in China. And because of his wealth, people think she just got herself lucky. “People often think that I married into wealth—which is not the case. I come from a financially sound background,” she told Oprah Mag.
“In fact, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery was something that I founded. Dr. Chiu was my very first employee. We've been partners ever since. My husband and I were taught to really work hard—not necessarily for the dollar, but for personal satisfaction. To wake up every day and be proud of accomplishing something, she added.”
Currently, Christine is the managing director at Dr. Gabriel's clinic and together they're worth an estimated $80 million.
Jaime Xie
Net worth: $50 million
Jaime Xie’s problems may consist of choosing which color of Balenciaga bag to get, but she is not your typical 23-year-old fashion influencer, she’s a champion equestrian, having competed in the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Small Junior Hunter 16-17 Division.
Jamie, the youngest among the cast members, is the daughter of Chinese-American billionaire Ken Xie, the CEO and founder of Fortinet, a cybersecurity firm. Ken is estimated to be worth around $4 billion, and is included in the Forbes 400 list 2020.
Meanwhile, reports say that Jaime has a net worth of $50 million, which comes from her trust fund and influencer fees.
Kane Lim
Net worth: $20 million
"Just go shopping. That's the best therapy.” That’s the mantra Kane Lim lives by. Seeing his massive shoe collection, we totally get what he means. In an interview with Tatler Singapore Kane said that his clothes, shoes, and jewelry are worth “more than seven figures for sure, easily.” And, get this, he did say in an interview that Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan is based on his family!
While Kane may be the son of a Singaporean real estate, shipping, and oil billionaire, he worked his way to get where he is on his own—ish. When he was 17, his dad gave him a “small loan,” which he invested wisely and made himself a millionaire at the age of 20.
Now at 30, this real estate entrepreneur is reportedly worth $20 million. Despite his fame and fortune, Kane remains humble and is friends with everybody as seen on the show.
Kelly Mi Li
Net worth: $5 million
Kelly Mi Li may have been through a lot, but she is living proof that anyone can be a boss babe.
Like Kevin, she didn’t come from money. Kelly is estranged from her father and was raised by her mother, who had to work three jobs to make ends meet. In an Instagram post, she wrote: "Being raised by a single mother, I realized how important it is to pave my own path. I was strongly encouraged and expected to become a doctor growing up like the rest of my family. By high school, I realized that the medical field wasn't for me. I voiced this to my mom and decided to pursue finance before eventually establishing businesses in the entertainment industry. I'm glad I spoke my truth and followed my heart."
In the show, Kelly reveals that she was previously married to a rich husband and would spend about $400k a month. But in 2015, she lost everything. “My ex-husband was arrested and I didn't know at the time but he was running one of the largest cyber scams in American history,” she said on the show.
After the divorce, she worked in real estate, food and beverage industry, and is now an investor and a media and production company executive. She is said to be worth $5 million.
Kevin Kreider
Net worth: $1 million
Kevin Kreider, the super outgoing model, is the only cast member who doesn’t come from money. He grew up in an American family, but was adopted from Asia. In the show, he finds out that he is 70% Korean and 30% Japanese.
Aside from Bling Empire, he also appeared in a mini-series called Dating After College and his own documentary, The Ugly Model. According to reports, he is worth $1 million.
Kim Lee
Net worth: $10 million
Call her “Wannabe Kylie Jenner” or “The Calvin Harris of Asia.” Whichever it is, Kim Lee is a name you won’t forget.
Prior to DJing, the 32-year-old Vietnamese was a model and did some acting, appearing in The Hangover Part II, CSI, and Entourage. She has also appeared in the music videos of Kanye West and Nicki Minaj.
Contrary to what people think (her stepfather is Daniel Segal, a famous screenwriter and novelist), she is self-made. Kim is believed to be worth up to $10 million.
