Will Smith stepped into the acting industry with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Although always covered by a blanket of humor, the show had a penchant for covering social issues and, in hindsight, shaping lives. While he dropped most of his goofy persona as he went on to star in Six Degrees of Separation, this affinity for changing lives never quite left him. It was the same when he brought evergreen hits as a rapper, and it was also the case when he invested in businesses.

With how Ryan Reynolds has become the face of all things celebrity investment, the daring investments that others made prior to him are often overlooked. One such actor was Will Smith. Always the first to identify a golden opportunity, the Oscar-winning actor was among the first line of celebrities that indulged start-ups with multi-million dollar investments.

Much like Reynolds, the Men In Black actor invested in his own production company, Overbrook. Majorly handled by Jada Pinkett-Smith, it allowed for the actor to reap the benefits of movies such as I, Robot, I Am Legend, and The Pursuit of Happyness, not just as an actor but also as a producer.

His investments do not stop at his own production house, as the actor has shown an interest in other helpful innovations. A lot of his investments, much like his recent social media posts, cater to the Gen-Z.

From a startup that allows companies to expand their social media presence to a start-up that helps other start-ups working to make a change, Will Smith, if not an angel investor, is a guardian investor.

Start-ups owned by Will Smith

The past year has seen a growth in the number of noses poking in Ryan Reynolds’ literal business as he sells his stakes in many of the companies he invested in. This made it clear that his investments can best be defined as smart. Whereas for Will Smith, who not only invests but co-owns a start-up worth $55 million known as Dreamers VC, which aims to help out other start-ups, his investments fall more on the soft-hearted side.

Other ventures owned by the Oscar winner include his own Westbrook Entertainment and Overbrook Entertainment. While not a co-owner, he is a known investor of now L’Oréal acquired beauty brand, Carol’s Daughter. This is how Smith’s determination to shape lives has translated into investments that are more than financial gains for him.

Do you think Will Smith is a smart investor? Let us know in the comments below.