One of the advantages of being a celebrity is you often have a bit more disposable income than other people. That means more money to spend on gadgets and gizmos.
In most cases, the go-to tech for celebrities are their phones. It’s their lifeline to their agents, publicists, and (via social media like Twitter and Instagram) their fans. But we started wondering what other technologies celebrities like. Through interviews and reading news articles, we got some answers.
Some prefer food and beverage tech. Others use technology during their leisure time. And some … well, some really love their phones.
Keegan-Michael Key
The taller half of the comedy duo Key and Peele likes to unwind with a glass of wine after at the end of the day. And while there’s nothing wrong with standard wine bottle openers, he prefers a different method.
“My favorite gadget right now is this wine opener … where you pierce the wine cork with, like, a syringe that has air, and … it pumps air into the cork, and then the cork just raises up out of the thing,” he told New York Magazine last year.
While Key didn’t name a specific product, that could be the $350 Coravin Model Two Plus Pack, which inserts a needle into a bottle via the cork, and fills the bottle with argon gas as you pour, preventing oxygen from getting in and oxidizing the wine. (The cork reseals when you remove it, keeping the wine fresh for months if you just want a single glass.) More likely, though, he’s talking about something like the $21 Cork Pops wine opener, which uses injected CO2 to create pressure and pop the cork from the bottle. It’s a quick and easy way to access the wine—and won’t leave a broken cork floating in your pinot noir.
50 Cent
The rapper/actor/entrepreneur (real name Curtis Jackson) has had his share of past financial problems, but he’s still a gadget hound at heart. We spoke with him a few years ago about the tech he carried with him while on the road (as he asked to give our laptop and Nikon mirrorless camera a test run while we talked). Among the items he carries are a pair of SMS Audio headphones (he owns the company), a Macbook Air ($999 and up) and a high-end Canon camera (like the $397 Rebel T5), which he says he uses to document his travels.
Gordon Ramsay
As one of the world’s most famous chefs, it’s no surprise that Ramsay tends to talk kitchen gadgets when asked. In an interview with Food & Wine last month, he mentioned a few of the items he keeps on hand when cooking at home. One was NutriBullet’s $80 Bullet Blender, which quickly whips up smoothies or protein shakes.
Ramsay’s also a big supporter of the $250 Philips Airfryer, which replicates a deep fryer using just a teaspoon of actual oil and a whole lot of hot air. It’s a great way to get the crunch without the calories of an actual fryer. (Worth noting: Ramsay is also has an endorsement deal with Philips, which could be why he speaks so highly of its products in interviews.)
Kim Kardashian
When you’re a social media star, it’s all about the accessories. Kardashian has taken so many selfies since becoming famous that she has published a book full of them (called Selfish). So it’s not too surprising that she has shown some love for LuMee, an illuminated cell phone case that lets you avoid washed out selfies (albeit the quality on the lighting is on par with an average living room, not a photo studio). Prices range from $55 to $70.
And while Kardashian appears to be using an iPhone these days, based on recent images, her preferred go-to phone is actually a BlackBerry Bold. In August, she announced in a series of Tweets that her beloved phone had died and that she couldn’t find another in the same model. We’re not sure exactly which Blackberry Bold model she prefers, but there are plenty of used options available on Amazon.
Snoop Dogg
Snoop’s not only a playa, he’s a player. The rapper/actor/pop culture beacon is an avid fan of video games. Among his favorites, he’s told us, are the NBA 2K, Madden, and FIFA series, but he’s also a fan of shooters like last year’s Battlefield 1.
As far as his system of choice, he has traditionally chosen Microsoft’s Xbox One (which starts at $242), but the server problems in early 2016 frustrated him to the extent that he took to Instagram to complain (warning: NSFW language). Sony wasted no time making sure that Snoop got a new PlayStation 4, which retails for $257 and up.
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