PrettyLittleThing founder Umar Kamani has announced he's stepping down as the CEO of the fashion brand after 12 years at the helm in order to pursue 'new challenges and goals'
What exactly does a billionaire go on to do after founding one of the world's fastest-growing fashion brands and what will he create next?
These are the questions that are sure to be on many people's lips after British tycoon Umar Kamani announced he was stepping down from his position as CEO of PrettyLittleThing.com after 12 years at the company.
The 35-year-old announced his departure in a post on Instagram, telling his 1.3 million followers that it was a "difficult" decision to give up his role, but that he's at a stage in life where he needs to set himself "new challenges and goals and build new brands".
Alongside his statement he shared a video featuring highlights from his time with PrettyLittleThing, showing clips of him partying with celebrity pals and attending glamorous events.
Seeing this, it might surprise some to know that life wasn't always quite so lavish for Umar, as his family actually comes from very humble beginnings in the UK - but they have certainly risen through the ranks to become a new fashion dynasty.
Umar's father Mahmud Kamani is the co-founder of Boohoo, a fashion company he helped to build from the ground up.
However, Mahmud's career originally began at a market stall in Manchester selling handbags. He went on to work for his father's wholesale business, Pinstripe, where he met fashion designer Carol Kane.
The pair teamed up in 2006 to create Boohoo and Mahmud made his fortune by getting designers to recreate stylish outfits worn by A-listers and selling them online for a fraction of the price.
The company is estimated to be worth billions, with teams working in London, Manchester, Burnley, New York, and Los Angeles and numerous celebrity collaborations under their belt.
If this weren't enough, the Boohoo Group now also owns a number of other popular brands such as Nasty Gal and Debenhams, as well as PrettyLittleThing.
Mahmud's company purchased his son's fashion brand outright in 2020 as part of a major deal thought to be worth £329 million.
Mahmud's three sons Umar, Adam, and Samir have all followed in his footsteps, with the younger generation having key roles in the continuation of the Boohoo empire.
The boys were "schooled into entrepreneurs" by their father according to a source close to the family, and it's clear to see they've been taught well.
Umar and Adam joined forces to set up PrettyLittleThing in 2012 and while Umar remained at the helm of the company for years, Adam went on to establish the family's property empire and his own investment company, KM Capital.
Younger brother Samir has been working at his father's company, taking the reins at BoohooMan.
The source added: "When Kamani senior started dreaming about the next stage of the family business he always dreamed his boys would be involved.
"He had the foresight to look at what was on trend, look at the likes of the Kardashians and co but he never imagined in his wildest dreams that his sons would be rubbing shoulders with them one day."
The family is regularly seen on the red carpet at star-studded events with the likes of Jamie Foxx, DJ Khaled, and the Kardashians.
They've also regularly shared glamorous shots on Instagram of their lavish lives, wearing designer jewellery, driving £350,000 Rolls-Royce Phantoms, Lamborghinis, and Range Rovers, as well as posing on luxury holidays and inside huge mansions.
Umar has hit the headlines numerous times throughout his career because of his riches, including during the sale of PrettyLittleThing as the deal reportedly saw him gain £161 million and a 2.6% stake in Boohoo, according to The Sun.
He also caused a stir in 2021 when he proposed to his model girlfriend Nada Adelle in 2021 with a 21-carat diamond ring costing $2 million.
For the special occasion, he also went all out with his choice of location, filling the Monte Carlo Opera House with 10,000 white roses, 25 musicians, and endless candles.
But despite all their wealth, the brothers are said to regularly wear their own products instead of opting for high-end labels.
They've also been known to be very generous with their money, with Umar previously handing out mind-blowing gifts to strangers on Twitter.
In December 2019, the fashion boss acted as Father Christmas for an hour as he used the hashtag #PrettyLittleWishes to reward those who needed some help, giving out thousands of pounds to clear people's debts, pay for a stranger's cancer treatment and enable another to go on their dream holiday.
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