Celebrity Net Worth: Preity Zinta invests in Indian fitness start-up

In our fortnightly celebrity investment and wealth round-up, Chrissy Teigen joins food company Chain as strategic investor and Vince Vaughn becomes majority stake owner of pickleball team

Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta has a net worth of $10 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Photo: Sportzpics for IPL

Bollywood actress Preity Zinta has teamed up with Indian cricketer Shubman Gill to invest in Drive Fitt, a fitness start-up that plans to set up gyms across the country.

The value of the investment has not been disclosed.

Founded by Australian entrepreneurs Mark Sellar and Deke Smith, Drive Fitt combines gym equipment with cricket training facilities.

Scheduled to open its first location in the north Indian city of Gurgaon in October, followed by a site in Noida in November, the business aims to capitalise on India’s love for cricket.

The chain has ambitious expansion plans, aiming to have 300 franchises nationwide within three years.

“I am excited to bring Drive Fitt to India as it represents a unique fusion of fitness and cricket, two passions that resonate deeply with me and a lot of people in India,” Zinta said.

“Our mission is to create an inclusive environment where people of all ages and fitness levels can come together to train, have fun and stay healthy. I’m excited to bring this innovative concept to India and can’t wait to see how it transforms lives.”

Gill said his experience of facing a lack of accessible, quality training facilities inspired the idea for Drive Fitt.

Zinta, 49, has a net worth of $10 million, according to celebrity wealth tracking platform Celebrity Net Worth.

She made her acting debut in 1998, opposite Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala in filmmaker Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se.

For years, she was one of India’s leading actresses, starring in blockbuster movies including Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) and Veer-Zaara (2004).

For the past decade, she has acted only intermittently, choosing to focus on her business interests.

She co-owns the Punjab Kings Indian Premier League cricket franchise (formerly Kings XI Punjab).

She expanded the franchise with ownership of the Stellenbosch Kings team, part of South Africa’s Mzansi Super League, and Saint Lucia’s representative team in the Caribbean Premier League. The team was later renamed as Saint Lucia Kings.

She also founded production company PZNZ Media.

Zinta owns a home in Shimla, in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, and another in Los Angeles with husband Gene Goodenough, according to GQ India.

The actress also purchased an apartment in Mumbai’s Bandra suburb for more than 170 million Indian rupees ($2.04 million), Indian media reported last October.

The 1,474-square-foot apartment is in the Pali Hill area, which is home to several leading Indian film stars and fashion designers.

Chrissy Teigen

US model Chrissy Teigen is joining Chain, the concept restaurant and food company founded by actor BJ Novak and Michelin-lauded chef Tim Hollingsworth, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Chain, launched in 2021, is a Los Angeles-based dining concept that offers new takes on fan-favourite items from fast food and fast casual restaurants.

The model-turned-cookbook author, 38, will join the company as a strategic investor and adviser as Chain expands ChainFest, the company’s gourmet chain food festival, and creates food programming, according to a statement.

“There’s simply no event like a Chain event, and lord knows I’ve been to a lot of parties and consumed my fair share of fast food,” Teigen said. "To join a company that commands the intersection of fast food culture and pop culture, that has a literal Michelin-starred chef at the helm, is an actual dream.

“I love how fast Chain is growing, and I’m excited to help turbo-charge that growth.”

She has a combined net worth of $100 million along with her husband, musician John Legend, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

He is responsible for the vast majority of the couple's wealth, although in recent years Teigen has earned more than $10 million on her own through modelling, endorsements and television projects, the website reported.

Teigen was working as a model when she met Legend in 2006. They married in 2011.

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend - in pictures

She has a big presence on social media, with more than 42 million followers on Instagram and more than 12 million followers on X.

She has also published two cookbooks – Cravings: Recipes for All of the Food You Want to Eat and Cravings: Hungry for More. She also sells cookware, baking mixes and bathrobes under her Cravings brand.

Teigen got her start in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2010 and has been a fixture in the special edition magazine ever since.

She has also modelled for brands including Victoria’s Secret, making her one of the highest-paid models in the world, according to business magazine Forbes.

In 2017, Teigen earned $13.5 million, ranking third after Kendall Jenner and Gisele Bundchen.

Legend and Teigen have a property portfolio worth $57 million, the New York Post reported. That includes homes in Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and three apartments in New York City.

Vince Vaughn

US actor Vince Vaughn has ventured into sports ownership after becoming a majority stake owner of California’s Coachella Valley Scorpions, a pickleball team.

“When you’re on the court with Vince, you can feel his energy and excitement for pickleball,” Kim Jagd, co-owner of the National Pickleball League team, said on July 25.

The Scorpions launched in May. Vaughn, 54, who has over a three-decade career in film and television, is well-known for hit films including Swingers, Wedding Crashers, Old School and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.

“I have always enjoyed the game and in meeting Kim I was impressed with her, not only as a player, but her passion and style of coaching,” Vaughn said. “I’m excited to support her and the Scorpions on their journey.”

The actor, screenwriter, comedian and producer has a net worth of $75 million, according to estimates by Celebrity Net Worth.

At the peak of his career, Vaughn was one of the highest-paid actors in the world, earning $15 million to $20 million per movie, the website says.

He earned $20 million for 2007's Fred Claus and $17 million for 2011's The Dilemma.

Vaughn’s latest venture aligns him with celebrities including Drake, as well as sports stars Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Tom Brady and Kevin Durant.