Legions of supporters consider RuPaul as the queen of all drag queens, while others see him as a pop culture icon. After the success of his competition show that earned multiple Emmy Awards, there’s no doubt that his career (and money) will only go north.
Born in California on Nov. 17, 1960, RuPaul Andre Charles went to Atlanta from San Diego to focus on performing arts. The man, simply known as RuPaul, was famous in the nightclub scene long before he made it in the realm of television.
Then, he recorded an album called Supermodel of the World – one track Supermodel (You Better Work) even landed on the second spot of Billboard Hot Dance chart. He became a household name when the show RuPaul’s Drag Race took off almost a decade ago.
The series, which aims to find talented drag queens a la Tyra Banks’ America’s Next Top Model, got tons of fans hooked, so much so that it is now on its 12th run. On top of that, RuPaul has also been instrumental in launching the careers of other drag stars like Alyssa Edwards, Bianca del Rio, Farrah Moan, and Chad Michaels.
RuPaul, who is also famous for being gender indifferent when it comes to pronouns to use to refer to him, is a pro at what he does. When he puts on makeup, costume, and hair, partnered with the attitude, he is downright unrecognizable.
From form-fitting dresses to bedazzled ensembles, name it — RuPaul has worn them. But, of course, for the magical transformation to happen, there are a lot of things needed and that means more expenses.
So, how much is RuPaul willing to shell out for a look? The celeb dished that years ago, when lace-front wigs still weren’t mass-produced, he invested $1,500 for one.
The 58-year-old explained that it used to be custom-made, therefore it was tailored to fit your head properly. Now, you can get one for $80, although there’s no guarantee it will sit on your head nicely.
As for the gowns, the millionaire says he is willing to spend a maximum of $10,000 per gown. As to how many dresses with that price tag are in his closet, he said he has lost count.
When asked how much he needs to shell out for just one look, RuPaul admitted he has not really tried to add up the cost and just quipped that the finished product is worth much. There are a lot of processes and teams involved in producing one stand-out look, after all.