Social media is a powerful tool, so much so that it transformed an Australian teenager into a multi-millionaire business tycoon at an age when most of us were still watching cartoons. At just 11, she’s basically ready for life, but some wonder if that’s right for such a young child.
Millionaire influencer Pixie Curtis, 11, has earned over $21 million selling toys and hair accessories.
She’s both a “businesswoman and a businesswoman,” as Nicki Minaj once said, and her runaway success has won her legions of fans online. Along with her little brother, Hunter, she enjoys the kind of high-flying life most of us can only dream of, from jet-setting to tropical vacations and being accompanied by her mother, Australian publicist and businesswoman Roxy Jacenko43, at red carpet events.
Pixie Curtis’ mother has said she will be able to “retire” at the age of 15 after making so much money selling hair bows, toy putty and fidget spinners.
Curtis leveraged his and his mother’s fame, not to mention the infamy of his Bitcoin investor and stockbroker father, Oliver Curtis, who was sent to prison for insider trading in 2016 – to launch several of its own product lines.
Her parents helped her start a fidget spinner business during the pandemic, which reportedly earns the little girl $130,000 a month, which alone is enough to make her an 11-year-old multi-millionaire.
But Curtis also has a very popular range of hair accessories for girls called Pixie’s Bows which is featured in Australia’s largest department store chain, Myer, and it has expanded further into the toy sector with ranges of mastic and slime for children.
And here we thought our childhood lemonade stands and Girl Scout cookies were kind of a hit!
Pixie Curtis regularly documents the high-end lifestyle her 11-year-old millionaire status affords on her Instagram.
Much like his glamorous mom, Curtis loves a good day’s shopping and regularly shares his groceries in videos on Instagram. More recently, she shared her swag from her “Sunday shop” which includes high-end cosmetics, clothing and skincare products.
Curtis filmed herself pulling several items from various shopping bags, including a package of Too Faced “lip injection” plumping gloss and a bronzer stick from cosmetics company Mecca Max. She also showed a bottle of Sol de Janeiro perfume and two candles from the luxury brand Byredo, which cost $94 each.
But the most valuable item she bought in her “Sunday shop” was a pair of boots from iconic Australian brand Ugg which cost $140 – and which she will of course be out of in six months.
Curtis has sparked backlash online from people who say she is too young for her lifestyle and that her mother should let her be a child.
“Why does an 11 year old need a ‘fuller lip injection?'” one Instagram user asked. “This girl is going to need a lot of therapy when she’s older.” Another Jacenko subtly shaded for allowing her daughter to purchase cosmetics specifically designed to “correct” her appearance at such a young age. “I don’t know why you or whoever drove you to the store feel the need to cover your lovely face with makeup.”
Others challenged Curtis to do more with his wealth than just go shopping.
“I have a great idea,” wrote one user. “Drive to your neighborhood children’s hospital in Randwick and spend the day with less fortunate children.” The Instagrammer then urged Curtis to “appreciate what you have.”
Curtis’ shopping trip isn’t the first time she’s sparked outrage. In 2022, her lavish $40,000 birthday party drew so much backlash that Jacenko went on Australian morning show “Today” to defend the bash.
“Everyone is going to have an opinion,” Jacenko told the “Today” hosts. “The reality is…we’re here for a short time, and I want to make sure that my children have the best opportunities possible, and if we can afford to do that while also being charitable…I think there’s No problem with that.”
A person on Instagram defended Curtis on similar grounds. “I find it hard to understand why grown women make negative comments on a young girl’s post,” one user wrote. “She’s a young girl finding her way in this big tough world, being judgmental doesn’t do anyone any good.”
Let’s hope Curtis has room to be just a kid in between being a multi-millionaire business mogul. His mother said it best: we’re only here for a short time.
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice, and human interest topics.