How Ashton Kutcher Turned $50 Million Into $250 Million by Investing in Entrepreneurs Plus, the actor and philanthropist explains what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

By Alan Taylor

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Though he first gained fame as an actor, Ashton Kutcher is also known for making smart investments in startups. However, as he explains to Alan Taylor in this video, it took a few years for those investments to pay off. One thing that helped was finding the right partners. Kutcher says he looks for entrepreneurs who are working on big ideas that will create change in society.

Kutcher also offered advice for entrepreneurs who are just starting out: In order for your company to be successful, you need to have insights or expertise that others don't have. Click play to learn more.

Alan Taylor

Host, Entrepreneur Radio

Alan Taylor is an award winning radio and television host and a 30-plus year broadcast professional. As a founder of Benchmark Entertainment in 1995, Taylor pioneered the business of creating radio shows as an extension of the magazines and brands they represent. Benchmark orchestrated innovative partnerships with leading publishers to replicate their content on-air, bringing their brands alive to a much larger audiences. Today, Taylor partners with the nation’s largest publishing houses. He is, on behalf of the Entertainment Right Now, the host of some of the most popular weekend talk shows in radio today: The Drive with Alan Taylor and Entrepreneur Radio. Taylor produces and co-hosts a new video series, Business & Burgers, in partnership with Microsoft and serves as a consultant and content marketing partner for USA Today Network.

Taylor’s expertise and quick wit entertain millions and he has been a featured automotive expert on ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, NBC and others, including 15-plus years on daytime’s No. 1 morning talk show, LIVE! with Kelly. Taylor is also an in-demand guest speaker where his up-beat presentations provide both insight and motivation. Taylor is also the co-host of Motorz TV, seen in over 200 million TV households in the USA and Canada.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

'Pre-Boarding Scam': Customers Furious at Southwest Airlines After 20 Passengers Ask For Wheelchair Assistance to Board

A viral tweet is slamming the airline's wheelchair policy for boarding and disembarking.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Leadership

My Business Hit $1 Million — Then a $46,000 Mistake Exposed the Biggest Bottleneck to Explosive Growth

How a costly mistake forced me to confront the real barrier to scaling and the changes that unlocked explosive growth beyond $1 million.

Business News

Anthropic Is Now One of the Most Valuable Startups of All Time: 'Exponential Growth'

In a new funding round earlier this week, AI startup Anthropic raised $13 billion at a $183 billion valuation.

Growing a Business

My Profitable Company Is Worthless to Investors — Here's Why That Works in My Favor

My business is profitable, stable and 25 years strong — but it has no transferable value. Here's why some successful companies just aren't built to sell and why that's not always a problem.