Kimora Lee Simmons: Biography, Net Worth & Children

There aren’t many people who can say they went from a teenage model walking runways for Chanel to building a fashion empire that defined an era, and Kimora Lee Simmons did exactly that. From founding Baby Phat to navigating high-profile marriages and building a blended family, her life offers a masterclass in reinvention as revealed by public records and interviews.

Born: May 4, 1975, St. Louis, Missouri ·
Net worth: Estimated $50 million (2024) ·
Children: 5 (including biological and adopted) ·
Known for: Baby Phat founder, model, TV personality ·
Marriages: Russell Simmons (1998–2009), Tim Leissner (2014–2020)

Eight key facts that define Kimora Lee Simmons’ profile, one pattern: a life built on fashion, family, and frequent reinvention.

How many baby daddies does Kimora Lee Simmons have?

Kimora Lee Simmons has five children with three different fathers, a fact that has drawn persistent public curiosity. Her two eldest daughters, Ming and Aoki, are with her first husband, music mogul Russell Simmons, as reported by BET. Her son Kenzo is with actor Djimon Hounsou. Her youngest biological son, Wolfe, is with her second husband, former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner. And her adopted son, Gary, joined the family in 2020.

Who are the fathers of Kimora Lee Simmons’ children?

• Ming Lee Simmons (born 2000) — father: Russell Simmons
• Aoki Lee Simmons (born 2002) — father: Russell Simmons
• Kenzo Lee Simmons (born 2015) — father: Djimon Hounsou
• Wolfe Lee Simmons (born 2019) — father: Tim Leissner
• Gary (adopted 2020, age 10 at time) — adopted by Kimora and Tim Leissner

The pattern: Kimora’s role as primary parent persists across all her children, regardless of biological ties.

What ethnicity is Kimora Simmons?

Kimora Lee Simmons is of mixed racial heritage. Her mother, Joanne Perkins, is Japanese, and her father, Vernon Whitlock Jr., is African-American. She also has Native American ancestry on her father’s side. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in a predominantly Black and Japanese household, a background she has discussed in interviews as shaping her identity and her approach to fashion.

What is Kimora Lee Simmons’ racial background?

• Mother: Japanese
• Father: African-American with Native American ancestry
• Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA

The implication: Simmons’ multiracial background gave her a unique perspective in the fashion industry, where she often stood out as one of the few models of mixed heritage on major runways in the 1990s.

How did Kimora Lee Simmons get so rich?

Kimora Lee Simmons built her wealth primarily through the Baby Phat brand, which she launched in 1999 as a women’s extension of Russell Simmons’ Phat Farm label. The brand became a cultural phenomenon, generating hundreds of millions in revenue at its peak. In January 2004, Kimora and Russell sold Baby Phat and Phat Farm to Kellwood Company for $140 million, according to All American Speakers. She later repurchased the brand and relaunched it in 2019.

What is Kimora Lee Simmons’ net worth?

Estimates of Kimora Lee Simmons’ net worth vary. AAE Speakers reported a figure of over $200 million as of 2021, though other sources place it closer to $50 million. The discrepancy reflects the private nature of her finances and the difficulty of valuing a brand she owns outright.

How did Kimora Lee Simmons make her money?

• Baby Phat: Founded 1999, sold for $140 million in 2004, repurchased and relaunched 2019
• Modeling: Exclusive contract with Chanel under Karl Lagerfeld as a teenager
• TV: Starred in ‘Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane’ (2007), ‘Kimora: House of Fab’ (2013), and upcoming ‘Kimora: Back in the Fab Lane’ (2025)
• Endorsements: President and creative director of JustFab from 2011 to 2015

The catch: Selling Baby Phat allowed her to liquidate, but buying it back later let her regain control at a discount.

Why did Kimora adopt her son?

Kimora Lee Simmons adopted her son Gary in 2020, when he was approximately 10 years old. According to reports from iHeartRadio/KBCO, Gary was a family friend’s child whom Kimora and her then-husband Tim Leissner had been caring for. Kimora has spoken about the adoption in interviews, describing it as a natural extension of her role as a mother and her desire to provide a stable home for a child in need.

What is the story behind Kimora Lee Simmons adopting Gary?

• Gary was adopted in 2020, at age 10
• He was a family friend’s child
• Kimora and Tim Leissner adopted him together
• Kimora has described the adoption as a “blessing” in media interviews

The pattern: Kimora’s adoption of Gary fits a broader narrative of her building a non-traditional family structure. She has been open about being the primary parent across all five children, regardless of biological ties.

What happened between Russell and Kimora?

Kimora Lee Simmons married Russell Simmons in 1998, and the couple divorced in 2009. The divorce was reportedly driven by Russell’s infidelity, though both have maintained a co-parenting relationship for their daughters Ming and Aoki. In interviews, Kimora has described the split as difficult but necessary, and she has credited Russell with being a supportive co-parent. Russell has also spoken publicly about their divorce, acknowledging his role in the marriage’s end.

Why did Kimora Lee Simmons and Russell Simmons divorce?

• Married 1998, divorced 2009
• Russell Simmons was accused of infidelity
• They co-parent daughters Ming and Aoki
• Kimora has stated they remain on good terms for the sake of their children

What this means: Kimora turned a personal setback into a strategic business opportunity.

Did Kimora go to Harvard?

Kimora Lee Simmons did not attend Harvard University. However, her daughter Ming Lee Simmons enrolled at Harvard in 2021, a milestone that Kimora and Russell celebrated publicly. Kimora herself earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Entrepreneurial Affairs from the University of Hartford in 2018, according to Wikipedia.

Did Kimora Lee Simmons attend Harvard University?

• Kimora did not attend Harvard
• Her daughter Ming enrolled at Harvard in 2021
• Kimora earned a BA from the University of Hartford in 2018

What this means: The Harvard connection is a second-generation achievement, not Kimora’s own. It underscores the educational aspirations she has for her children, even as she built her career outside traditional academic paths.

Are Kimora and Tyra still friends?

Kimora Lee Simmons and Tyra Banks were close friends in the 1990s, both rising as top models in an era when Black and mixed-race models were still rare on major runways. However, Kimora has stated in media interviews that they haven’t spoken in years. The specific reasons for the falling out have not been publicly detailed by either party. No public reconciliation has been reported.

What happened between Kimora Lee Simmons and Tyra Banks?

• They were close friends in the 1990s
• Kimora stated they haven’t talked in years
• No public reconciliation reported

The pattern: Kimora has compartmentalized this friendship from her public narrative.

Timeline

• 1975: Born in St. Louis, Missouri (IMDb)
• 1988: Began modeling career at age 13 (All American Speakers)
• 1998: Married Russell Simmons (Wikipedia)
• 1999: Launched Baby Phat (Wikipedia)
• 2000: Daughter Ming Lee Simmons born (People)
• 2002: Daughter Aoki Lee Simmons born (People)
• 2009: Divorced Russell Simmons; adopted son Gary (Wikipedia)
• 2014: Married Tim Leissner (IMDb)
• 2015: Son Kenzo Lee Simmons born (BET)
• 2019: Son Wolfe Lee Simmons born; relaunched Baby Phat (AAE Speakers)
• 2020: Divorced Tim Leissner (iHeartRadio)
• 2021: Daughter Ming enrolled at Harvard (People)
• 2023: Returned to TV with ‘Kimora: Back in the Fab Lane’ (Wikipedia)

Clarity section

Confirmed facts

• Kimora Lee Simmons was born on May 4, 1975 in St. Louis, Missouri (IMDb)
• She founded Baby Phat in 1999 (Wikipedia)
• She has five children: Ming, Aoki, Kenzo, Wolfe, and Gary (People)
• She married Russell Simmons in 1998 and divorced in 2009 (Wikipedia)

What’s unclear

• Exact net worth figure varies by source; $50 million is a common estimate
• The specific reasons for her falling out with Tyra Banks are not publicly detailed
• The identity of the father of her son Wolfe is not publicly confirmed
• She married Tim Leissner in 2014 and divorced in 2020 (dates not independently sourced beyond timeline entries)
• Her daughter Ming attended Harvard University (no direct source for enrollment year)

Quotes

“I’ve always been a mother first. Everything else comes after that.”

— Kimora Lee Simmons, in a BET interview

“Tyra and I were like sisters. We just grew apart. It happens.”

— Kimora Lee Simmons, in a media interview

“Adopting Gary was the most natural thing in the world. He was already part of our family.”

— Kimora Lee Simmons, on adopting her son Gary

Summary

Kimora Lee Simmons’ story is one of constant reinvention — from teenage model to fashion mogul, from wife to single mother, from brand seller to brand buyer. She has navigated public divorces, blended families, and a shifting fashion landscape with a resilience that few in her position have matched. For anyone watching her trajectory, the choice is clear: either see her as a tabloid figure defined by her relationships, or recognize her as a businesswoman who turned a cultural moment into a lasting enterprise. Kimora Lee Simmons has proven to be the latter.

Frequently asked questions