Instant Alert: The world's highest-paid supermodel was rejected 42 times before she got her big break

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   The world's highest-paid supermodel was rejected 42 times before she got her big break by Mallory Schlossberg on Apr 27, 2016, 1:57 PM Advertisement Gisele Bundchen is indisputably a top model. In fact, she's the world's highest paid supermodel, according to Forbes. Forbes estimated that between June 2014 and 2015, she earned about $44 million. But took awhile for her to get her career off the ground. She recently disclosed to People that after moving to New York at age 16, it was extremely hard for her to get work. "I was going to castings daily, but work was still very slow," she said to the magazine. She revealed that it took a whopping 42 rejections before she had her big break with an Alexander McQueen show in 1998. She also faced lots of criticism in the nascent stages of her career. "I remember some people telling me my nose was too big or my eyes were too small, that I could never be on a magazine cover," Bundchen said to People. "It wasn't easy to be 14 and hear that kind of criticism. It made me feel insecure." I am grateful that at 14, I was given the opportunity to start this journey. Today after 20 years in the industry, it is a privilege to be doing my last fashion show by choice and yet still be working in other facets of the business. #firstrunway #14yearsold 🙏🙏🙏 Sou muito grata por ter tido a oportunidade, aos 14 anos, de iniciar esta jornada. Hoje, após 20 anos nesta carreira, é um privilégio estar fazendo meu último desfile por escolha própria e ainda continuar trabalhando em outras facetas da indústria. #primeirodesfile #14anos A photo posted by Gisele Bündchen (@gisele) on Apr 15, 2015 at 7:18am PDT on Apr 15, 2015 at 7:18am PDT Her father offered her some advice. "I told my dad, and he said, 'Next time, tell them, I have a big nose and that comes with a big personality,'" she said to People. "At that point I felt, if I kept working hard and giving my best, it would all work out." Now, Bundchen is one of the most esteemed models out there; she's a brand in of herself. She's also associated with many high-profile gigs, most notably her lucrative position as a Victoria's Secret Angel, which she held until 2007. Though she no longer is walking the runway, she's definitely not running out of work anytime soon. Right now, she's helping Under Armour's women's business explode. SEE ALSO: Victoria's Secret supermodel reveals her surprising diet   Share the latest business news with your network: Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011