She’s So MONEY
HOW ACTRESS OLIVIA MUNN LEARNED TO INVEST LIKE A BOSS
FIRST PERSON
$
everal times in my life, I thought about
investing. But the stock market seemed
fickle and intimidating, and I never
quite understood it. I considered buying
into companies and products instead,
but nothing ever felt right.
Then, in 2012, a friend of mine who
runs a hedge fund that invests heavily in
technology said, “You should look into this
company called Uber.” He said a limited number of people—
fewer than 45—were invited to take part in the initial
rou nd of fi na ncing. I fig u red that i f it d id n’t work out , I
would learn my lesson. But if it did, being an original
investor in a company that could revolutionize transpor-
tation would be pretty amazing.
Obviously, it was a good gut instinct.
I wish I’d invested more in Uber, but it’s
ha rd to k now when someth ing wi l l be
successful. I put even more money into
my nex t investment—a business I d id n’t
really think made sense but went forward
wit h a ny way. It went completely u nder.
I don’t have any regrets, though. It was
a lea r n ing ex per ience that t aug ht me to
ask more questions and to invest only in
things I personally get inspired by.
The more you ask, the more you know—
and I’ve become good at asking a lot of
questions, whether I’m making financial
deals or working with [Aaron] Sorkin on a
script. I want to understand everything
and know how to negotiate. The risk
is much higher when you don’t
understand an opportunity, and
sometimes it’s just not worth it.
There are often crazes, like
the whole cryptocurrency
th ing. It ’s OK i f you don’t
understand it. You don’t have
to invest or feel a s i f you’re
missing out. You can’t get
caug ht up in the hy pe of
what ever yone else is doing.
I never let myself get pres-
sured into anything.
I invest only in brands
that I actually use or that
solve a need. For example,
I work a lot with Cavu
Venture Partners, a company that helps small disruptive
brands grow. Through them, I’ve invested in products
li ke Chef ’s Cut Rea l Jerk y, Sk in ny Dipped A lmonds,
Bulletproof Coffee, Health-Ade Kombucha, and Vital
Proteins, all products I love. I also invested in (and am
t he creative strateg ist for) Wag , wh ich is li ke Uber for dog
wa l kers. So ma ny people need their dogs wa l ked when
they can’t be home. It’s a service that just makes sense.
I’m frequently asked who does my investments for me. I
negotiate deals myself, and then my sister, who’s an attorney,
does the paperwork at her firm in Oklahoma. Whenever I
come across a small brand or product I’m passionate about,
I reach out to the company and ask if I can help them grow.
Sometimes the answer is, “Yes, we’d love that.” Sometimes
they already have a plan and aren’t looking for more backing.
Thanks to social media and the Inter-
net, there are so many people selling
products without traditional brick-and-
mortar stores. If you’re looking to invest,
go on Etsy or Amazon and search for
products that inspire you. Find out who
owns the company, cold-call them, and
say you’d like to get involved. If they say
no, don’t let that deter you. Keep going
until you find one that says yes.
When negotiating, it’s important to be smart
instead of greedy. You’re investing your money,
your time, and yourself. If the initial number
isn’t exactly what you want, know that money
wi l l event ua l ly come back to you i f the
company is successful. I have a cap on what
I will invest, and I don’t go above that.
If you don’t have enough funds to entice
a company to let you invest, try getting
a few friends to pool money and
come in with that. Then you’l l a l l
share in the percentage of whatever
you’re a sk ing for. Or come up with
another way to help the company.
What sk i l ls have you ma stered
that this company needs? Show
them why they should allow you
in for what you’re bringing.
Everybody has an ability
and something to offer. You
just have to k now what you
want and go after it.
—AS TOLD TO
SAMANTHA SIMON56 InSTYLE FEBRUARY 2019Friends often ask
who handles my
investments. The
thing is, it’s me.”