Companies have long done this sort of aspirational marketing. President Cigars (made up) didn't need to be used by the president; the unnamed cowboy, on a poste

Companies have long done this sort of aspirational marketing. President Cigars (made up) didn't need to be used by the president; the unnamed cowboy, on a poster, smoking your brand of cigarettes conferred some level of vicarious living and cool; etc. But, which company/companies were first with celeb staff members/owners (ie not just endorsement)? Planet Hollywood seems like it was an early version of this. Victor Kyam's (sp?) "I like it so much I bought the company" is on similar lines but not quite there. Thoughts?