Jay-Z, Justin Bieber and Kanye: Celebrities who have shelled out top dollar for Valentine's Day gifts

Alexandra Canal
·Senior Reporter
Updated 3 min read
0

From Kim Kardashian and Kanye West to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, celebrities have spent a pretty penny when it comes to Valentine’s Day.

U.S. Valentine’s Day spending is expected to reach $27.4 billion this year, up 32% from last year’s projections, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2020 forecast. A big part of that spend come from A-listers, who over the past decade have purchased everything from timeless plants to pricey cellphones.

Here are some of the craziest, priciest (and even out of this world) celebrity Valentine’s Day gifts:

  • Justin Bieber to Selena Gomez: The year was 2011, and Bieber purchased every flower in one florist’s shop for $2,000. Sadly, the couple is no longer together. But as the saying goes, every rose has its thorns...

  • Katy Perry to Russell Brand: In 2010, the singer decided to fulfill every man’s “teenage dream” and purchase her then-fiancé actor a Virgin Galactic ticket to space for a reported $200,000. These days, that ticket is worth a little more — estimated at $2,500 (The two are also no longer an item).

  • Angelina Jolie to Brad Pitt: The Oscar-winning actress bought a 200-year old olive tree for her hubby — worth $18,500 — back in 2008. The duo has since divorced, but the tree was reportedly planted outside their multi-million dollar estate in the South of France. Love may die, but roots last forever.

  • Kanye West to Kim Kardashian: The hit-making rapper is known for gifting his wife the most lavish pieces of jewelry, and 2013 was no exception. West purchased a Panthere De Cartier Cuff for his reality show spouse worth between $68,000 - $73,000. Welcome to the “Good Life”, Kim K.

  • Jay-Z to Beyoncé: The rapper snagged a platinum-encrusted cell phone for his superstar singer wife back in 2009 — spending a cool $24,000. But hey — if you “Run the World” like Queen Bey, what else do you really need?

Millennials spend more than average

While millennials may not have the cash rappers or actors do, they still are planning to shell out big on Valentine’s Day. According to a new study by Bankrate, 75% are planning to purchase a gift or experience of some sort.

The average U.S. adult plans to spend $152 this year — but that number dramatically jumps to $208 for millennials.

Millennials are driving Valentine’s Day spending (Courtesy: Bankrate)
Millennials are driving Valentine’s Day spending (Courtesy: Bankrate)

That amount also exceeds the older generations: Generation X expected to spend $160, while Baby Boomers and the “silent generation” are setting the bar even lower at $101 and $43, respectively.

Furthermore, millennials have high expectations when it comes to how much money they expect their partner to spend on them.

Millennials have high expectations on Valentine's Day (Courtesy: Bankrate)
Millennials have high expectations on Valentine's Day (Courtesy: Bankrate)

According to the study, millennials believe $153 dollars is an appropriate amount to dish out for a gift or experience, while the average adult thinks $102 will suffice.

Alexandra Canal is a Producer at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193

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