Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner on what it means to work as their personal assistant

Is the life of a celebrity personal assistant a dream or a nightmare? It depends. Sure, you have the opportunity to travel the world, meet celebrities and even gain some notoriety. But the disadvantages are definitely not to be underestimated: There are no schedules, you can forget about free time and private life, you have to indulge vices and whims, solve all kinds of problems, act as an emotional stimulus, adhere to strict confidentiality contracts, and often the pay is totally inadequate for the commitment required. Just ask any of the many who have worked for the Kardashian-Jenner family. There's a reason no one has stuck it out for more than a handful of years, but despite the fact that the employment has ended, there are few who complain publicly, and that's the wrath of momager Kris. The most resourceful of the VIP mothers makes it clear from the outset that she has no qualms about suing you if you agree to be her employee but for some reason betray her trust by leaking private facts to the tabloids or making negative comments. Not even if you have no assets or your bank account is in the red. As Ms Jenner herself stated a few years ago, the zero tolerance policy applies "when something needs to be protected and somebody else doesn't understand the importance of that", adding later, "I don’t care how much money somebody might have - if they have nothing. Some people think, "Oh, I don’t have any money, and they’re not going to sue me." Well, we’ll take payments." 

In the same interview, Kris explained what other requirements, besides absolute confidentiality and dedication, are needed to join the family team... The first two: No schedules and multitasking are key. "It's really nonstop, 24/7 brainstorming and creativity and just trying to get organized and really pack a lot into a day - being there nonstop with all engines blazing." The unique demands and commitments of each member of the Kardashian-Jenner clan mean that there has to be one person who is on call 24/7, willing to work at a fast pace and have "a very high level of scheduling" Victoria Villarroel, who was Kylie Jenner's assistant for five years until 2029, also confirms this: "She'll call me 2 a.m. I will answer. I don't really have set hours. It's pretty much whenever duty calls!". 

Stephanie Shepherd, Kim's assistant since 2013, who became COO of Kardashian West Brands before they parted ways in 2018, said she did everything for the SKIMS founder, from planning Kim's schedule, doing laundry, booking trips, assembling a pram, taking walks and cleaning up pet droppings, to managing Kim's entire team, working on the launch of Kimoji and comforting Kim after the 2016 Paris robbery. Simple routine for a celebrity PA. For Shepherd, however, it was a good experience. Importantly, he is always available, capable and sociable. The plus? According to what she revealed to Refinery29, it's becoming part of "a big extended family" where "everyone who works for the Kardashian family is part of this little tribe - assistants, makeup artists, housekeepers, security. We get each other Christmas presents, we take care of all the kids like they're our own kids."

To recapitulate: In return for a ticket into the Kardashians' world, you'll have sleepless nights, work various jobs, endure their tantrums, conceal pregnancies, hide the identity of a surrogate, do damage control after a tweetstorms, provide succour during crises and scandals, and maybe end up in the background of some Instagram photos, right behind Kourtney and Travis. Will the salary at least be reasonable? Well, according to rumours, no. Although there is certainty about how much a personal assistant earns, there are some among the Kardashians' former employees who have complained. In 2017, for example, there were rumours that the salary might have been one of the reasons why Kim Kardashian split professionally with Stephanie Shepherd. "Kim was paying Stephanie $65,000 a year. She had worked for Kim for three years without a raise and knew it was time to ask for it," an insider told Life & Style, claiming that Shepherd had asked for another $20,000. So is the game worth the candle?