Spanx's founder recalls husband telling men at a party: 'She's the Michael Jordan of underwear'

Sara Blakely, American businesswoman, philanthropist, and founder of Spanx, had been married to Jesse Itzler for 18 years. However, before they tied the knot, she had something to confess. During an interview on The Burnouts (@theburnouts), Blakely recalled how nervous she was about telling Itzler that she made far more money than he did. While they were having dinner, Blakely said, "Honey, I have something I need to tell you," and his eyes went wide. She blurted out the truth as the spaghetti was half-hanging out of his mouth. What he said next assured her he was the one. The video received 896,000 views, 23,600 likes, and 388 comments.

Not what she expected

While talking to The Burnouts hosts, Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, Blakely recalled how nervous she was to tell Itzler that she was more successful than he thought. There are misconceptions that men should be the primary earners in the relationship, and Blakely was worried Itzler may have held the same views. She finally told him, "I think I make more money than you think I do." His reaction was not what she expected. "I swear, I think his eyes teared up a little bit and he goes, 'Couldn't have happened to a nicer person,'" she said.

'Michael Jordan of underwear'

Over the years, Itzler has always been extremely supportive of Blakely's business. He would tell people at parties about Spanx, even though he did not fully "figure it out or grasp it." She even called him a "guy's guy." She recalled one time when he was trying to explain how big her business was to other men, and he went, "Oh, I don't know. She's like the Michael Jordan of underwear." Everyone immediately understood the analogy and was shocked at how big of a deal she was. 

Working wives

Blakely's husband's support for her is something most women still yearn for today, as traditional ideas about who should earn more still influence a lot of couples. A study reported in The Economist found that when men were asked whether a woman earning more than them would cause problems, 10% of respondents said yes. However, the effect may depend on how much each partner earns.

Another study by Joanna Syrda found that men's stress was at its highest as a sole breadwinner. It dropped when their wives earned at least 40% of the total income. Surprisingly, their stress seemed to increase as wives earned more than 40%. At the same time, the study found that couples where the wives earned more from the beginning of the marriage did not have this problem.

Huge compliment from a man

Netizens applauded Blakely's honesty and success in the comment section. @sandy_frazer wrote, "What a beautiful thing for him to say." @1williamston wrote, "I met you at Saks 5th Ave at the infancy of your brand. I think you were giving a sample, but anyway, your personality was infectious. Congratulations."

You can follow The Burnouts (@theburnouts) on Instagram for more celebrity interviews.

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