Net Worth Ranker
What Is Julia Haart’s Net Worth?
Julia Haart, a prominent figure in the fashion industry and known for her role as the former CEO of Elite World Group (EWG), boasts a net worth of approximately $50 million. This wealth is accumulated through her diverse career encompassing fashion design, executive leadership, and media presence. Her journey from a closed Haredi Jewish community to the forefront of the fashion world is chronicled in the Netflix documentary series “My Unorthodox Life,” which has further amplified her public profile.
Early Career and Entry into Fashion
Born Julia Leibov on April 11, 1971, in Moscow, Soviet Russia, Julia Haart’s initial experiences were vastly different from her current life. She moved to the United States at the age of three and eventually settled in Monsey, New York, within a large Haredi community. She attended Bais Yaakov Academy in Brooklyn and secretly taught herself how to sew. Before fully immersing herself in the fashion world, Haart worked as a Judaic studies teacher at Yeshiva Atlanta, a Jewish secondary school in Atlanta, Georgia, under the name Talia Hendler. During this time, she also supplemented her income by selling life insurance.
Haart’s official entry into the fashion industry occurred in 2013, marking a significant turning point in her life. Leaving the Haredi community, she founded her namesake shoe company. This venture was driven by her ambition to create footwear that combined high fashion with comfort. To achieve this, she partnered with other companies and used NASA-developed gel technology to produce comfortable high-heeled shoes. Her initial investment into the company has not been publicly disclosed, and revenue data from the early years of her shoe company is not readily available. However, the success of this venture laid the foundation for her subsequent roles in the fashion industry.
Creative Direction at La Perla
In 2016, Julia Haart’s career gained significant momentum when she began collaborating with La Perla, the Italian luxury lingerie and swimwear brand. Initially, she designed accessory collections for the brand’s spring and fall lines. Shortly after, she was appointed as the creative director. During her tenure, she introduced innovative designs such as the first stretch Leavers lace and a ready-to-wear lingerie collection with built-in support. Unfortunately, specific financial details of her contract with La Perla, including her annual salary and any bonuses, remain confidential. However, sources indicate that creative directors at luxury brands like La Perla typically command salaries ranging from $500,000 to several million dollars annually, depending on the brand’s size and their level of responsibility.
In 2017, Haart produced a runway show for La Perla featuring renowned models such as Naomi Campbell, Sasha Pivovarova, and Lindsey Wixson. This event significantly raised her profile in the fashion world. One of her most notable creations during this period was the dress she designed for Kendall Jenner’s appearance at the Met Gala, a gown adorned with 85,000 crystals on a single string. The exact cost of materials and labor for this gown were never officially released, but experts estimated the dress to be worth over $100,000 considering the brand’s positioning and complexity of the design.
CEO of Elite World Group
In March 2019, Julia Haart’s career reached a new zenith when she was appointed CEO and CCO (Chief Creative Officer) of Elite World Group (EWG), a media conglomerate overseeing Elite Model Management. Under her leadership, EWG expanded its divisions and focused on assisting models in monetizing their brands. Haart also became the creative director of the EWG luxury fashion brand e1972, launching a collection that garnered acclaim. As CEO, her responsibilities included overseeing the financial performance of the group, developing strategic initiatives, and enhancing the company’s brand image. While the exact details of her compensation package at EWG are not public, it is estimated that CEOs of similar-sized media conglomerates can earn annual salaries ranging from $1 million to $5 million, along with potential stock options and performance-based bonuses.
Her tenure at EWG was cut short in early 2022 when she was terminated by Silvio Scaglia, the owner of EWG and her then-ex-husband, on allegations of company embezzlement. Paolo Barbieri succeeded her as CEO. These charges and her subsequent dismissal led to legal battles.
Legal Battles and Controversies
Following her termination from EWG, Julia Haart initiated legal action against Silvio Scaglia in Delaware, the location of EWG’s parent company, Freedom Holding. She asserted that she was a 50-50 owner of EWG, rendering her dismissal invalid. However, in August 2022, Vice Chancellor Morgan T. Zurn issued a final ruling, determining that Scaglia held the controlling shares of the company and that Haart’s termination was legitimate. Court documents revealed that Scaglia had invested substantial capital into EWG, exceeding $200 million, while Haart’s financial contributions were significantly less. This disparity in investment was a key factor in the court’s decision regarding the ownership structure.
Concurrent to the trial concerning her dismissal from EWG, Haart faced another legal challenge pertaining to allegations of abuse by Scaglia. Justice Douglas Hoffman of the New York Supreme Court dismissed these claims, concluding that her accusations were fabricated in retaliation for her termination from EWG and to secure exclusive occupancy of Scaglia’s $65 million penthouse apartment. This ruling further impacted her public image and legal standing, and there were significant legal fees accrued throughout these cases.
“My Unorthodox Life” and Media Exposure
The Netflix documentary miniseries “My Unorthodox Life,” released in 2021, chronicles Julia Haart’s departure from the Haredi Jewish community in Monsey, New York, and her integration into the world of fashion and business. The show features her children, ex-husband Silvio Scaglia, and business partner Robert Brotherton. While the show garnered attention, it also faced criticism from the Orthodox Jewish community, with some members claiming it portrayed Orthodox Jews in a negative light and promoted antisemitism. The series provided a platform for Haart to share her personal story. Although the exact compensation she received from Netflix for the show has not been disclosed, reality TV personalities often earn between $5,000 to $500,000 per episode, depending on their notoriety and the show’s success. Given the popularity of “My Unorthodox Life,” it’s reasonable to estimate that Haart’s earnings from the series contributed significantly to her overall net worth.
Personal Life and Real Estate
Julia Haart has four children – Batsheva, Shlomo, Miriam, and Aron – from her first marriage to Yosef Hendler. She was married to Silvio Scaglia from 2019 until their divorce in 2022. On the same day she filed for divorce, Scaglia terminated her employment at EWG. In 2018, before their marriage, Silvio Scaglia purchased a 10,000-square-foot Tribeca, Manhattan triplex penthouse for $56 million. This apartment, featured in “My Unorthodox Life,” became a point of contention during their divorce proceedings. The property’s value and ownership were central to the couple’s legal disputes.
During their divorce, Haart and Scaglia engaged in a protracted battle over the Manhattan penthouse. Haart sought to maintain occupancy of the residence, while Scaglia sought to reclaim it as his sole property. The legal proceedings revealed that Scaglia had made the initial $56 million investment in the penthouse. This factor played a key role in determining the outcome of the property dispute.
Net Worth Calculation
Calculating Julia Haart’s precise net worth involves assessing her assets and liabilities. Her assets include earnings from her shoe company, income from her role as creative director at La Perla, compensation from her position as CEO of Elite World Group, earnings from the Netflix series “My Unorthodox Life,” and any other investments or business ventures she may have. Liabilities may include legal fees incurred during her legal battles with Silvio Scaglia, debts, and other financial obligations.
While detailed financial records are not publicly available, considering her various roles and ventures, her estimated net worth of $50 million is a reasonable assessment. This valuation accounts for her successes in the fashion industry, her high-profile executive position at EWG, and her media exposure through “My Unorthodox Life”.
