Jaden Smith is one of the most recognizable Hollywood celebrities today. In some ways, that may be due to his famous (and sometimes controversial) parents, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. That said, it is also worth noting that Jaden has made strides in his career all on his own while growing up. Sure, he may have started out with acting gigs from his parents, but Jaden soon created buzz all on his own after starring alongside Jackie Chan in The Karate Kid when he was JUST 10 years old.RELATED: The Real Reason Netflix Canceled Jaden Smith's ShowIndeed, one might say that Jaden was so determined to step out of his parents’ shadow that he pushed himself to work hard even as a youngster (he later asked his father to emancipate him too). In fact, he continued to pursue lead roles on his own (including in Netflix’s The Get Down, which got canceled after JUST one season). At the same time, Jaden also developed an entrepreneurial mindset and a passion for promoting various causes (such as supporting the homeless, which recently stirred controversy).This is precisely what led to the launch of his company, JUST Water, several years ago. And now, it seems the business is poised to make the Hollywood star a fortune.
Jaden Smith Started The Business Because He Felt ‘Forced To Drink Out Of Plastic’
Of all the elements of the earth, Jaden feels that his bond is strongest with water. “I feel totally connected to water,” he once remarked. “I feel like it’s one of the most spiritual and interesting elements on Earth.” It is also the very element that fascinates him.
“If you freeze anything on Earth, it will get smaller, but water expands when you freeze it!” Jaden explained. “Even in some trees, water will flow up the bark of the tree and go against gravity. Water does so many things that are JUST unnatural and not normal.”
And so, one might say that JUST Water came out of a desire for Jaden to pursue his connection with water. More than that, however, he wanted to do something about the plastic pollution in the oceans. At the same time, Jaden felt like he had no choice as far as drinking water goes.
“We’re all thirsty. I’m thirsty, and I was still forced to drink out of plastic.,” he explained. “Not even forced — I had no alternatives.” And so, with the help of this family’s longtime friend, Drew Fitzgerald, he launched his own packaged water company.
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At first, Jaden also toyed with the idea of coming up with a new soda company. But packaged water JUST made more sense. “I knew that it was going to be really hard to create, like, a new soda,” he explained. “And I knew that the recipe for water all over the world is pretty much the same and it was going to be a lot easier to create a new water bottle company than a soda company.” And so, Jaden founded JUST Water when he was only 12 years old.
What makes JUST Water unique is that it packages its entire beverage line in cartons, instead of the plastic bottles that other companies have utilized for years. According to the company, their packaging is proudly made with “54% paper carton.” This allows them to curb their carbon emissions significantly. “We found that paper only contributes 20% of our carton’s C02 impact, even though it makes up the majority of the package,” JUST Water further explained. Meanwhile, carton is also complimented by a sugarcane cap.
As for the taste of the water, JUST Water prides itself in packaging spring water that is naturally high in minerals. Jaden also swears by its taste. He says theirs is “crisp and natural.”
So, How Much Is Jaden Smith Making From JUST Water?
While it’s impossible to determine exactly how much Jaden makes from his water business (the company doesn’t even publish its financial statements), it is worth noting that JUST Water has been doing well in recent years. This might be due to changes in consumer behavior as many try to do away with single-use plastic. In fact, some reports even suggest that the company manages to make more than $3 million in sales annually.
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Since the company launched, JUST Water has also expanded globally, opening three bottling facilities in the U.S., Australia, and U.K. Their products are also available in more than 15,000 retail locations throughout North America. JUST Water is also present in as many as 10 countries to date.
The future is certainly looking bright for Jaden and JUST Water. In fact, business continues to pick up. “We doubled our business last year, we tripled the business this year, and are on track to almost triple it again next year,” Ira Laufer, JUST Water’s CEO, even revealed in 2019.
Around that time, JUST Water also had even more exciting news. The company revealed that it was signing a two-year deal with IKEA Australia to become its exclusive water provider. This essentially helped bring JUST Water’s valuation to an impressive $100 million.
That said, it is unclear if JUST Water’s deal with IKEA Australia fell through. On the other hand, the company did eventually enter the Australian market with its items available at the Australian grocer Woolworths.
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