Kamala Harris' Stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, Lives A Lavish Life

Sometime between 2013 and 2014, Ella Emhoff's father Doug Emhoff invited her to a seafood shack located somewhere on California's famous Pacific Coast Highway. Ella had been to that restaurant before. It was actually one of her favorites. However, something about this dinner was different. This time she was going to meet her father's new love interest, Kamala Harris.

At the time, Ella had no way of knowing that Kamala Harris would one day become a serious contender for the role of president of the United States — even the prospect of Harris becoming vice president likely seemed like a long shot. In the moment, the only thing that mattered was whether or not this fascinating new woman would mesh well with her family. Luckily, Ella felt that Harris was great. When the future vice president tied the knot with Doug in 2014, Ella accepted her fully. "They came up with the name 'Momala,'" Harris would later write for Elle.

In the years that followed, Ella's life would undergo one change after the other. Her new stepmother would become a major politician, her father's career would prove extremely lucrative, and she herself would be thrust in the public eye. Thanks to all this success, Ella has been able to enjoy quite a bit of luxury.

If Ella Emhoff lives a lavish life, it's partially due to the respective careers of her father Doug Emhoff and her stepmother Vice President Kamala Harris. Since their 2014 wedding, Doug and Harris have become something of a power couple — both financially and politically. Forbes estimates that the pair is worth approximately $8 million. Per the outlet, this number is based on Doug's billable hours and Harris' salary, as well as the duo's shared real estate holdings.

Doug reportedly earns, on average, $1 million per year in his job as a high-power entertainment and media lawyer. He also picks up an extra paycheck in his role as a law professor at Georgetown University. Harris, meanwhile, has been a six-figure earner for over 20 years, according to a separate report in Forbes. The vice president also brings in a sizable salary in the form of royalties for her books "The Truths We Hold" and "SuperHeroes Are Everywhere." In fact, the New York Post reported that Harris' books have been more financially successful than those published by First Lady Jill Biden.

Doug and Harris' collective success has permitted Ella and her brother, Cole Emhoff, to grow up in quite the comfortable environment. Over the years, Ella has enjoyed access to private schools, a nice home, and vacations to cities like London.

Because of her family's comfortable financial situation, Ella Emhoff attended the Wildwood School — a top private school located in Los Angeles, California. Many of Hollywood's latest and greatest have walked through the halls of the institution. As explained by the Hollywood Reporter, "Some of the Spielberg kids, two of Dustin Hoffman's kids and all of Demi Moore's brood went; Rob Reiner's kids and a Meryl Streep daughter also are alums." On Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day, Leonardo DiCaprio has been known to grace the classrooms — making Wildwood one of the best places to be.

Of course, not just anybody can attend this exclusive institution. According to the Wildwood School website, school fees are far from being cheap. Tuition for the 2024/25 school year topped off at $50,840 for middle school and high school students. Elementary schoolers, meanwhile, pay $43,990 for a year of coursework.

Despite the high price tag of Emhoff's education, it seems that the California native managed to have a reasonably normal high school experience. She was known to play varsity basketball and even joined the school's competitive swim team.

Ella Emhoff's top-notch education did not end at the Wildwood School. The stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris also went on to continue her studies at Parsons School of Design in New York City. Not unlike Wildwood, studying at Parsons is far from cheap. According to the New School website, full tuition for the 2024/25 school year reaches $28,989 per semester or $57,978 per year. This, of course, does not include living expenses in New York City.

Luckily, it seems that Ella Emhoff took full advantage of her expensive education. In 2021, she graduated from the institution with a Bachelor's in Fine Arts. On Instagram (via the Daily Mail), the budding artist explained that she had spent her senior year of design school "creating a collection of knitwear/crochet pieces in response to my adolescent diary and childhood photographs using excess yarn from the pants I was making." She also revealed that her thesis was a pair of knit pants made partially from scraps. Considering the fact that Emhoff now sells each of her knits for thousands of dollars, her time at Parsons seems to have paid off.

On January 20, 2021, Ella Emhoff's life changed forever. Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States and her stepmom Kamala Harris made history as the first female vice president to ever serve the country. To mark this important occasion, Emhoff dressed her best in an outfit by renowned designer Batsheva Hay.

Interestingly, Hay was thrilled to dress Emhoff. Speaking to Vogue, the designer revealed, "She's someone I could 100% relate to. Ella has such a point of view and a style that you don't always think about in D.C., because, like ... D.C. has the worst style." According to Hay, it was nice to design an outfit that had a little more individuality. "It was really fun to make a dress that fit the bill but was still unique," Hay explained.

When asked by Vogue to discuss her inspiration for Emhoff's outfit, Hay explained that the final product was more of a meeting of minds. "Ella liked a certain style that she'd found online on Matches, and I looked through some of the new things I was working on —  samples and stuff — and we came up with a great version of it in a different fabric," she shared. In the end, the lavish experience of collaborating with a designer paid off, because Ella Emhoff looked great on Harris' big day.

As an up-and-coming model, designer, and overall fashionista, Ella Emhoff was likely thrilled to attend the 2021 New York Fashion Week. This event, which took place just months after her stepmom took office, attracted big names from across the globe. And, Emhoff was sure to be a part of the festivities, as was her boyfriend, GQ editor Sam Hine.

Dressed to the nines in gender-bending clothes, the young couple made a splash. While Hine wore a blazer paired with a skirt, Emhoff wore a more masculine ensemble that included a collared shirt and neck tie. Fans of the emerging designer were not surprised to see her feet clad in Oxfords, as opposed to something tippier. As Emhoff herself had told Vanity Fair just weeks prior to the event, "I'm nervous, because I am not really good at walking in heels."

Since then, Ella Emhoff has become something of a New York Fashion Week regular. At the 2023 iteration of the event, she was praised for embracing a princess look. Of course, Emhoff was also unafraid to dabble in some of the other fashion trends that would go on to take over 2024. One of her best looks at NYFW in February 2024 involved an oversized blazer and a pair of round spectacles that made her confident demeanor pop.

Ella Emhoff is not just a fashion fan. She is also a model, who occasionally gets to wear some of the coolest clothes in the business. Ever since Ella Emhoff had her first runway show in 2021, she has worked with brands ranging from Prada to Mulberry to Balenciaga.

"There's a red carpet behind me, there are no seats, and all I know is that Balenciaga does the most interesting and creative shows of the season," Emhoff told Vogue. Anyone who doubts her commitment to the brand need only open her Instagram, which boasts a gorgeous shot of her in a black suit and large cat eye glasses.

According to Emhoff, being a part of the fashion industry has always been a dream of hers. "For a really long time when I was younger, I wanted to be a designer," she said on "The Talks" in 2021. "My mom is super into fashion, so I would always play dress up in her closet and wear her high heels and, like, just clomping around, looking too big." In that sense, Emhoff's runway debut was the culmination of many years of aspirations.

In 2024, Ella Emhoff brought her unique sense of style to the ski slopes in Saint Moritz, Switzerland. Dressed in bright purple ski wear, Emhoff stood out on the pistes of one of Europe's most exclusive mountain resorts. Interestingly, though, no one was more surprised by her funky violet-colored ensemble than Emhoff herself. Commenting on this with Interview Magazine, Emhoff shared, "I didn't know that I was such a purple girl. I felt like a fashionable Swiss kid. I had a full under-layer and I couldn't even get the chance to wear the jacket and feel the full coziness because it was just so sunny."

Of course, there was more to Ella Emhoff's trip than fashion. She fully embraced the athletic aspect of her mountain experience, trekking up snowy hills and using ski poles for support. She also found a whole lot to love about the Swiss culinary experience and enjoyed plenty of vegan fondue along the way.

Saint Moritz has long been a hotspot for A-List celebrities and European royals. Emhoff rubbed shoulders with at least one major celebrity on her trip, telling Interview Magazine, "I also spent the whole trip traveling in tandem with Anne Hathaway. I went to the airport lounge and I was like, "Oh, hello." Anne and her kids and her husband were just hanging out, having sparkling water."

Winter is not the only time of year that Ella Emhoff has been known to have a good time. The model and designer has also been spotted out and about on more than one boat trip over the years. In 2021, Emhoff posted a shot on Instagram of herself on a boat in a red swimsuit, and months before that, paparazzi captured her cozying up to boyfriend, Sam Hines, on a small yacht in Saint-Tropez.

As reported by the Daily Mail at the time, Emhoff and Hines were photographed soaking up the sun on the deck of a sleek chartered vessel. Every once in a while they were served drinks by a man in a green collared shirt, allowing them to enjoy their day of relaxation to the maximum. 

This outing, though, was hardly low-priced. The Daily Mail reported that a day-long boat charter likely cost the couple $2,400. That being said, it looked like they had a good time de-stressing after a busy weekend at Paris Fashion Week.

When Ella Emhoff isn't jet-setting all around the world, she has been known to swing by her family's Brentwood, California home. The property was purchased by her father Doug Emhoff in 2012 when Ella was still a pre-teen. The sale of the house closed at a whopping $2.7 million, however, the property is estimated to cost as much as $5.1 million — making it quite an asset.

The house itself is also believed to be quite comfortable, as it boasts five bathrooms, four bedrooms, and a grand total of 3,500 square feet. The backyard is quite sizable with a private pool and patio, as well as a pretty garden area.

As they say, location is everything, and this house has a fantastic one. Their Brentwood neighbors have — at one point or other — included members of the Hollywood elite, like Gwyneth Paltrow,  Tom Hanks, Reese Witherspoon. 

Ella Emhoff's life is not all fun and games; she's also known to work very hard, both as a model and a designer. In 2024, Emhoff also hosted a gallery opening, where she exhibited a series of art pieces that she had knitted. To those who know Emhoff's work, it was no surprise to see her talent on display. Several of her textiles included detailed self-portraits that zoomed in on her brow line, freckles, and glasses.

Ella Emhoff sold many of her pieces for thousands of dollars. As reported by the New York Post, the emerging artist's knitted self-portrait boasted a $5,500 price tag. Even many of Emhoff's clothing items were not especially affordable. A pair of hand-knit pants reportedly cost about $350.

Although these prices may sound high, Emhoff's biggest fans seemed to think that her work was worth it. One of her supporters — known simply as Michelle — told the New York Post, "Her stuff is gorgeous. I don't even know how she began to do this stuff. It's crazy."