When we see celebrities on the red carpet, we can’t help but think how lucky they are in their expensive outfits. However, it has not been so for most of them. A good number of celebrities grew up poor, homeless or had to drop out of school. We compiled a list of the top five you may find interesting.
1. Oprah Winfrey
The Tv personality and actress is one of the wealthiest women in the world. She is the cover lady for a self-made woman and has been an inspiration to many women out there. Of course, Winfrey hasn’t always been rich. She grew up in rural Mississippi on her grandmother’s farm, and Winfrey moved a lot.
She never had it easy as she suffered abject poverty and sexual assault. Winfrey decided to drop out of college early to begin her career in media.
Year’s later, Oprah Winfrey is an entrepreneur, TV host, and Harpo Productions owner responsible for some massively successful daytime shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Rachel Ray, and Dr. Phil. With a net worth of $2.9 billion, you can say Oprah has come a long way from where she started.
2. J.K Rowling
Harry Potter has become a household name with its fanbase, merchandise, and several movie adaptations. The brain behind this book series is J.K Rowling. When writing the Potter series, Rowling was a single mother living on government handouts in England.
Thanks to the Harry Potter novels adapted into box-office movies and merch, Rowling is worth about $1.2 billion.
3. Ralph Lauren
This is a massive name in the fashion industry, and you may be touched by how one man singlehandedly built his fashion empire from scratch. Lauren was the youngest child of poor Jewish immigrants. He had been in the army and worked as a clerk before he became successful.
His Polo line permanently put him in the land of fame and fortune when he sold thousands of it. Today, Lauren’s net worth is estimated to be $7 billion.
4. Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz isn’t really in the celebrities category, but his story is still inspiring. He was the first college graduate from his family and went on to become a global coffee giant. Starbucks is available in every state in the US, with branches all over the world. As of 2020’s Forbes list, Howard is worth $4.3 billion.
5. Leonardo DiCaprio
The star actor of the classic movie Titanic didn’t have it easy for him while growing up. DiCaprio grew up in a poor community surrounded by drugs and prostitution. His first gig was a matchbox car commercial at 14 years old, and from there, he got more involved in acting.
Today, the actor, producer, and philanthropist is worth $260 million.
Written by Eniola Olaniyi
