Tommy Hilfiger is an American fashion designer and the founder of the Tommy Hilfiger Corporation.
He started his career by co-founding a chain of jeans/fashion stores called People’s Place in the 1970s, before launching his own eponymous menswear line in the 1980s.
The company later expanded into women’s clothing and various luxury items such as perfumes, and went public in 1992.
Hilfiger’s collections are often influenced by the fashion of music subcultures and marketed in connection with the music industry.
In 2005, he sold his company for $1.6 billion to Apax Partners, who later sold it in 2010 to Phillips-Van Heusen for $3 billion.
Hilfiger remains the company’s principal designer, leading the design teams and overseeing the creative process.
Net worth
Hilfiger has a net worth of $450 million. He built his fortune by starting his fashion career at a young age, opening a jean shop with just $150 saved from working at a gas station.
He later founded People’s Place, a chain of jeans/fashion stores, and ventured into designing his own clothing. Despite facing bankruptcy early on, he focused on combining business acumen with creativity.
Hilfiger’s brand grew exponentially, reaching $10 billion in sales across 2,000 stores and 192 countries.
Strategic partnerships, international licensing, and a strong brand image contributed to his entrepreneurial success and substantial net worth.
Career
Hilfiger started his fashion career at a young age, buying and customizing jeans to resell at a store in his hometown of Elmira, New York.
In 1971, at age 18, he co-founded a chain of jeans/fashion stores called People’s Place in upstate New York.
After People’s Place went bankrupt in 1977, Hilfiger moved to New York City and worked for various fashion labels before starting his own company, Tommy Hill, in 1979.
In 1984, Hilfiger was approached by businessman Mohan Murjani to design and head a men’s sportswear line under his own name. This led to the founding of the Tommy Hilfiger Corporation in 1985.
Hilfiger’s signature preppy aesthetic and high-profile marketing campaigns helped the Tommy Hilfiger brand gain immense popularity in the 1990s, especially among hip-hop and urban communities.
The company went public in 1992 and expanded into women’s clothing and luxury items like perfumes.
In 2006, Hilfiger sold his company for $1.6 billion to Apax Partners, who later sold it in 2010 to Phillips-Van Heusen for $3 billion.
Awards and accolades
Some of Hilfiger’s notable recognitions include the Council of Fashion Designers of America – Menswear Designer of the Year in 1995.
He also received the American Academy of Achievement – Golden Plate Award in 1996 and the FiFi Awards – Men’s Fragrance of the Year – Luxe for the fragrance Tommy in 1997.
In 1998, Hilfiger received the Parsons School of Design – Designer of the Year Award and the GQ Magazine – Designer of the Year for Men of the Year issue.
He also won the FiFi Awards – Best Marketing Innovation of the Year, for Toiletries for Tommy’s (American running series) in 2000.
In 2002, Hilfiger received the GQ Germany – International Designer of the Year and the Drug Abuse Resistance Education – Future of America Award, for philanthropic efforts for American youth.
He also won the GQ Spain – Designer of the Year in 2006.
In 2008, Hilfiger was ranked No. 1 Designer and No. 16 Brand in Women’s Wear Daily’s annual 100 List.
He received the UNESCO – UNESCO Support Award in 2009 for his philanthropic efforts.
Additionally, Hilfiger was honored with the Marie Claire Magazine – Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 and the Pratt Institute – Legends Award in 2010.
In 2012, he received the Council of Fashion Designers of America – Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Anna Wintour.
Hilfiger was also honored by the Race To Erase MS in 2015 for his commitment to finding a cure for MS.
In 2021, he received the British Fashion Council – Outstanding Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to the global fashion industry and his continued commitment to creating an inclusive brand that champions people from all backgrounds and experiences.
Personal life
Hilfiger met Susan “Susie” Cirona in 1976, an employee at one of his People’s Place stores, and they married in 1980. The couple had 4 children together – 1 son and 3 daughters.
After 20 years of marriage, Tommy and Susie Hilfiger divorced in 2000. In December 2008, Tommy Hilfiger married his second wife, Dee Ocleppo.
From his first marriage to Susie Cirona, Tommy Hilfiger has 4 children: Ally, Rich, Elizabeth and Katherine. With his second wife Dee Ocleppo, he has one more child, Sebastian Thomas Hilfiger, born in August 2009.
Dee Ocleppo also has 2 sons from a previous relationship, bringing the total number of children in the Hilfiger household to 7.
Charity works
In 1995, Hilfiger launched The Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation, which focused on supporting charities and programs related to health, education and cultural initiatives for at-risk American youth.
Some of the key charities and causes Hilfiger has supported over the years include Autism Speaks, the MLK, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, The Fresh Air Fund, Breast Health International (BHI), Millennium Promise, as well as global organizations like Save the Children, World Wildlife Fund and War Child through his TommyCares initiative.
Hilfiger has been actively involved with these charities, serving on the board of directors and sponsoring programs.
For example, he has designed limited-edition handbags to support BHI’s Fund For Living program since 2008, and made a $2 million, 5-year commitment to Millennium Promise in 2009 to help eradicate poverty in Uganda.
Hilfiger has also supported other causes like LIFEbeat – The Music Industry Fights AIDS, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Glam 4 Good.
In 2012, Hilfiger consolidated all of his philanthropic activities under the global TommyCares initiative to better integrate the brand’s non-profit partnerships, charitable contributions, and employee engagement.
Hilfiger has been recognized for his philanthropic efforts, receiving awards such as the Harvard Foundation’s Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian of the Year in 2006 and UNESCO’s Support Award in 2009.
Real estate
Hilfiger has owned several high-end properties throughout his career.
In Palm Beach, Florida, he sold a Mediterranean-style mansion for $41.38 million in 2024, featuring four bedrooms, six baths, a pool house and private beach access.
Another property in Palm Beach was sold for $28 million in the same year, a lakefront house renovated by the couple.
In Golden Beach, Florida, Hilfiger and his wife Dee Ocleppo sold a 14,000-square-foot Mediterranean-style villa for $36.5 million in 2017, with six bedrooms, a pool and a private beach.
They also sold a three-bedroom Mediterranean-style mansion in Miami Beach for $24 million in 2021.
In Nantucket, Massachusetts, Hilfiger owns a New England-style cottage valued at $27 million, featuring four bedrooms, a pool and ocean views.
His Round Hill Estate in Manor, north of New York, is valued at $31 million, with a well-manicured garden and a waterfall.
His primary residence in Greenwich, Connecticut, is a Georgian-style mansion on a 22-acre property valued at $31.4 million, boasting eight bedrooms, a tennis court, a pool and a private lake.
In New York, Hilfiger owns a 3,000-square-foot apartment at the Plaza Hotel valued at $50 million, with three bedrooms and stunning views of Central Park.
On the exclusive island of Mustique in the Caribbean, Hilfiger owns a villa valued at $200 million, accommodating up to ten guests with secluded beaches.
In the Hollywood Hills of California, he owns a four-bedroom modernist villa valued at $24.5 million, featuring a pool, outdoor living spaces and city views.
