Words by Laura Penna
The stunning British blonde has come a long way, from performing at her dad´s pub and doing local radio shows, to being signed by Jay-Z’s ‘Roc Nation’ label, becoming the hottest artist of 2015 with a TV and film career to boot.
This R&B/pop singer has four UK number one hits so far, including ‘I Will Never Let You Down’ and ‘R.I.P.’, and has also hit the top spot on the album charts with her debut record, ‘Ora’, but that’s not the only thing Rita gets up to.
Rita Sahatçiu is of Albanian heritage and is a real family girl. Even though things got rocky at home when she dropped out of school and moved out at 15, her family has always been there for her, and even help her with new projects. They are certainly cashing in now! ‘People With Money’ magazine reported that Rita is one of the highest-paid singers in the world, pulling in an astonishing $46 million between 2013 and 2014, nearly $20 million more than her closest competitor.
The British singer now has an estimated net worth of $145 million. She owes her fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, and lucrative endorsement deals with ‘CoverGirl’ cosmetics. She also owns several restaurants (the ‘Fat Ora Burger’ chain) in London, and a fashion line called ‘Rita Ora Seduction’.
No wonder the young pop star hopes to continue cultivating her role as entrepreneur outside her musical career, because among other holdings she has a football team called the ‘Pristina Angels’ in Kosovo, her country of origin, which is directly managed by her company, ‘Ora Multi Services’, and directed by her sister Elna, who Rita fondly refersto as “The Genius”. Rita´s unusual projects, as she herself admits, are mainly explained by her desire to create an economic empire, which will ensure the welfare of her family.
The last year has been quite a hectic time for Rita, after a headline-making split with DJ and producer Calvin Harris, the singer is back and better than ever! Gracing the December cover of ‘Cosmo’, the ‘Black Widow’ beauty opened up about her break up with the 30-year-old Scottish DJ in addition to talking about her confidence and why it’s important to come to terms with loving your body.
“Stand naked in front of the mirror and say, ‘I’m fucking sexy.’ That’s where it starts,” she asserts.
She is also quoted as saying, “I’m very proud to say that I think about sex. It’s what everybody thinks about, whether they say it or not. For me, sex is a form of getting to know a person – feeling someone’s skin.”
Rita is now feeling Ricky Hil´s skin (Tommy Hilfiger´s son) the pair have been dating on and off for a while. They were last seen together at ‘The Standard’ in New York where Rita rang in the New Year with a party and performance, playing the role of hostess with the mostest! The singer compered the black tie event while taking to the stage before counting down the seconds to 2015. Apparently, Rita has been using some of the tips she has learnt while shooting the new ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ film (Rita plays Christian Grey’s sister Mia), with beau Ricky. Could this be the reason why he came back for more?
After guest stints on the ‘X Factor’ Rita landed one of the most high-profile and highly paid roles on television as the replacement judge for Kylie Minogue on ‘The Voice’ UK. The show, which started on January 10th, airs every Saturday at 7pm on BBC 1. Rita is already making quite an impression with her down-to-earth nature and sense of humour, and she is being tipped to be the most popular judge this series.
Rita is also attracting attention with her racy wardrobe choices. When promoting ‘The Voice’ on a TV show, she wore a plunging white suit that dipped low enough to reveal not just half her breasts but part of her stomach – not to mention the very obvious absence of any bra! “Rita Ora isn’t the sort of guest one expects on a family-friendly BBC programme,” one outraged viewer proclaimed! In fact, a total of 400 complaints were sent to BBC producers. “I do not want to see her boobs hanging out on a family programme,” another viewer wrote. The BBC promptly issued an apology: “If we had been consulted we would have requested she wore something more suitable for 7pm.”
Rita has since vowed to cover up on the BBC show to avoid any more outrage and chose a more sophisticated lacy number for her debut. What will this diva-cum-entrepreneur be doing next?
