e.l.f. Cosmetics cofounder becomes Catholic priest after life overhaul
The e.l.f. Cosmetics cofounder gave away most of his wealth, then was ordained in Visalia after a yearlong spiritual reset.
Scott-Vincent Borba, who co-founded e.l.f. Cosmetics in 2004 with Joseph Shamah, was ordained as a Catholic priest on May 23, 2026, in Visalia, California, after leaving behind a life he said had become hollow despite business success and luxury. Borba, 52, moved from building a beauty brand based in Oakland to serving the Diocese of Fresno.
Borba said he felt called to the priesthood from a young age, but pursued business first. Raised Catholic in Visalia, he said the death of his father, Anthony Borba Sr., in 2010 after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis deepened an inner reckoning that had been building for years. The decisive break came after a party at his Hollywood Hills home, when he concluded he could no longer live for money and status. He left that night, checked into a hotel, and began reshaping his life around faith and service.
Borba said he gave away the majority of his belongings and funds to charity, including St. Charles Borromeo Church, Mary’s Meals and other organizations serving the poor. He studied for the priesthood at St. Patrick’s Seminary and University in Menlo Park, California, before his ordination at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Visalia. The Diocese of Fresno later assigned him as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Clovis.
The Diocese of Fresno introduced tap-to-give donation technology to Valley parishes through TipTap Giving. Borba said he is “never been happier.”
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