While most billionaires come from wealthy backgrounds, there are a few exceptional individuals who managed to build their fortunes from scratch. These self-made billionaires overcame adversity and turned their dreams into reality. Here are ten inspiring stories of billionaires who started with nothing:
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Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey was born into poverty in the segregated state of Mississippi in the 1950s. Despite her challenging upbringing, she excelled academically and earned a scholarship to attend Tennessee State University. After graduating, she became the first black female news anchor in Nashville and eventually launched her own talk show in Chicago. Oprah’s media empire expanded to include TV networks and magazines, and she is now worth $2.5 billion, making her one of the most influential entrepreneurs of our time.
Steve Bisciotti
Steve Bisciotti, co-founder of the Allegis Group, came from a working-class Italian-American family. With a liberal arts degree in hand, he started the Allegis Group with his cousin, running the business from his basement. In its first year, the company generated $1.5 million in revenue and has since become the largest in its marketplace. Bisciotti’s success allowed him to fulfill his dream of owning the Baltimore Ravens football team.
Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz, chairman and CEO of Starbucks, grew up in a housing complex for the poor and aspired to escape poverty. He attended college on a football scholarship and after graduating, he took over a small coffee shop called Starbucks. Schultz transformed the business into a billion-dollar global franchise. Today, his net worth stands at $4 billion.
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren, raised in the Bronx by immigrant parents, dropped out of college and joined the army. Afterward, he worked as a clerk at Brooks Brothers and eventually became a salesman for the company. Lauren started making his own ties from rags and sold them to small shops. He went on to open his own necktie store under the ‘Polo’ brand. Over half a century later, his estimated net worth is $6.7 billion.
François Pinault
François Pinault grew up in poverty and dropped out of high school due to relentless bullying. He initially worked in the timber industry with his father but later transitioned to fashion retail. Pinault worked his way up in the business world and eventually founded his own company, Artemis S.A., which now owns brands like Converse shoes and Samsonite luggage. With a net worth exceeding $42 billion, he is considered one of the richest men in France.
John Paul DeJoria
John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of the Paul Mitchell line of hair products, grew up in a foster home and started selling newspapers and Christmas cards to support his family. He worked odd jobs, including janitorial work and door-to-door sales, while living out of his car. DeJoria went on to co-found multiple billion-dollar businesses and now has a net worth of $4 billion.
Ken Langone
Ken Langone, co-founder of the department store Home Depot, was born into a blue-collar family. His parents took out a second mortgage on their house to fund his college education. Two years after graduating, Langone saved up enough money to partner with Bernard Marcus and start Home Depot. His net worth now stands at $3.7 billion.
Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, was raised by his aunt and uncle and dropped out of university to move to California. He worked various odd jobs for eight years until he had enough resources to found Oracle in 1977. Today, Ellison is considered one of the richest men in the world with a net worth of $103 billion.
David Murdock
David Murdock grew up in a modest household, with his father working as a salesman and his mother as a housekeeper to make ends meet. He is now the chairman and CEO of Dole Foods, a multinational agricultural organization, and is believed to be worth around $3.4 billion.
Harold Hamm
Harold Hamm, a business tycoon, grew up in a family of sharecroppers. He worked pumping gas and repairing cars to help his family financially. Hamm stayed in the gas and oil business and is now the head of Continental Resources, with a reported net worth of over $25 billion.
Article updated 1 week ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
