Full Breakdown
From Beauty Empire to the Altar: Scott Borba’s Path to Priesthood
5/13/2026, 5:19:04 AM
Ordination Path
Scott Vincent Borba, 52, co-founder of e.l.f. Cosmetics, will be ordained a Catholic priest on May 23, 2026 in Visalia, by the Fresno Diocese. He has sold his assets, entered St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, and now lives in a dormitory while completing formation.
Business Background
Borba co-founded e.l.f. Cosmetics with Joseph Shamah in 2004, a cruelty-free makeup line. Sales hit $100 million by 2014, and a 2025 acquisition of Hailey Bieber’s Rhode line for $1 billion expanded the brand. Reported wealth ranges from “multimillion-dollar” to $3 billion.
Timeline & Data
e.l.f. was founded in 2004; sales hit $100 million by 2014; Borba felt a “sudden loss of joy” and began donating wealth in 2019; he resigned from e.l.f. in 2021; lived at St. Patrick’s Seminary (2023-2025), selling an Aston Martin and other assets; and is slated for ordination on May 23, 2026. Borba is 52; U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops reports average new-priest age is 33; only about 3 % of seminarians are over 50.
Official Church Response
The Diocese of Fresno confirmed May 23 ordination and called Borba’s vocation “uncommon”. St. Patrick’s Seminary noted his living conditions and focus on prayer. U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops supplied the age-distribution data cited above.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on Borba’s net worth—some label it a “multimillion-dollar” fortune, others cite a $3 billion valuation. The timeline of his departure from e.l.f. also varies: a 2019 decision to donate wealth versus a 2021 resignation. No record specifies amount donated to charity.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I asked our Lord to help me be the man that he created me to be. And upon that instance, I had this massive flood of love and mercy that came into my life,” — Scott Vincent Borba
- “We ran around with the likes of Paris Hilton, and partying with Kardashians and just doing up the Hollywood life. I was a poster boy for luxury living. I was not in any which way humble. I was very prideful.” — Scott Vincent Borba
- “I have a few bits of clothes and a few pairs of shoes. And my life has been culled down to the bare minimum.” — Scott Vincent Borba
- “I think that a story like his is a great opportunity to inspire people,” — Zach Flanagin, Ph.D., professor of theology, Saint Mary’s College of California
What’s Next
Observers say his conversion may attract attention and inspire adults to consider religious vocations, while the Diocese plans to assign him to parish ministry after his diaconate.
