Money—it’s the dealbreaker, the peacemaker, the elephant in every room. Whether it’s business or love, it can either build bridges or burn them down. And Gabrielle Union now knows exactly what that means. As a working woman and business force in her own right, she’s lived on both sides of the hustle. And now, she’s showing up to acknowledge the grind—and the grit—it takes to build something that lasts.

That’s why her presence at Cannes Lions 2025 felt so fitting. Cannes Lions isn’t just a celebration of creative ads—it’s where business, tech, and storytelling collide. This year, the Festival buzzed with talk of AI, culture shifts, and how brands are reshaping themselves. But it wasn’t all agency folks—big names from the sports world also showed up, not as athletes, but as CEOs and dealmakers. From LeBron James’ SpringHill Company to Dwyane Wade’s media ventures, sports figures came to Cannes to talk business, branding, and the future of content.

Gabrielle Union was all over the Cannes Festival this year—but it wasn’t just about red carpets and glam. In an exclusive chat with Axios, she opened up about the real conversations that stuck with her. Talking to fellow CEOs and entrepreneurs, one thing became crystal clear: money isn’t just a goal; it’s the biggest challenge. “Money, money—how to get it, how to sustain it, um, how to find new sources of it,” she said. “You can get in the door, that part isn’t hard. But how do you stay in?” 

That question hits home for many. The U.S. has nearly 200,000 CEOs, but only a tiny fraction lead Fortune 500 companies with million-dollar paychecks. Most average around $200,000 a year—far from the glamor people expect. Union’s point? Success isn’t just about access, it’s about staying power. And that takes more than a title and a LinkedIn bio.

And that’s the question she keeps coming back to, especially as a businesswoman building her own ideas from the ground up. “I’m often turning to Range with my new business ideas, and I’m like, how are we going to fund this?” she explained. “They’re like, yeah, the first round—that’s easy enough, people are interested. But it’s like, when you start to grow, how do you sustain it? How do you do the second round, third round, fourth—like, how do you build it?” She didn’t sugarcoat the realities either: “Sometimes the well goes a little dry… or the well gets a little shady.”

Gabrielle Union isn’t just a Hollywood star—she’s a full-on business powerhouse. From beauty and baby care to fashion, food, tech, and media, she’s got her hands in everything. She launched Flawless after dealing with hair loss, co-founded Bitsy’s for healthy kids’ snacks, and built I’ll Have Another, her production house, to tell stories that matter. Alongside husband Dwyane Wade, she created Proudly, a skincare and haircare line for kids with melanated skin. That’s just scratching the surface.

She’s also invested in brands that reflect her values and smarts—Jomboy Media, Somewhere Good, Yumi, Helaina, Autumn Adeigbo, First Boulevard, and her own Gabrielle Union Collection with New York & Company. So, when Gab speaks on money, business, or ownership—trust, she knows what she’s talking about.

Gabrielle Union opens up about the income stream of an actor

Gabrielle Union might be a Hollywood star, but her day-to-day reality is one many people know too well. Speaking at the 2025 American Black Film Festival in Miami, she opened up about balancing her career with caring for her kids and her father, who lives with dementia. “I don’t have the luxury of taking all the independent films that I want because I can’t afford to pay for my extended family in the way that they have grown accustomed to,” she said, explaining how the rising cost of memory care—much of it not covered by insurance—has reshaped her decisions. Like many in the “sandwich generation,” she’s supporting both aging parents and young children at once.

She didn’t hold back when it came to how finances shape her career choices. “When you see celebrities have fifty ‘leven jobs, there’s a reason,” she said, noting that people seriously overestimate how much actors actually take home. “We don’t get paid what y’all think that we get paid, and that check is split so many ways,” she explained. Endorsements, branding, and multiple income streams aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re how she’s able to keep doing what she loves. “It kind of depends on what I’ve made that year on how creative I can be—and that’s a damn shame, but that’s reality.” Union’s honesty cut through the glamor and exposed the very real trade-offs many women make just to stay afloat.

But even in the middle of all that personal pressure, Gabrielle is still finding ways to give back—and pay it forward. “Part of it is giving some money back. It doesn’t always need to be you,” she said. “When you get that opportunity, sometimes it’s better to pass it along, to make sure somebody else’s quota is made.” Through her production company, I’ll Have Another, she’s creating space for others—even if it costs her. “I’ll give up producing credit to make sure somebody else gets their credit. I’ll give up money to make sure someone is made whole,” she added.

Gabrielle Union isn’t just speaking from theory—she’s lived the uphill battle of building and sustaining. Her honesty around money hits home for every dreamer chasing longevity.