Although the “rags-to-riches” trope is a cliche, it is one that quite a number of the world’s billionaires have personally experienced. It goes without saying that not every mega-rich person was born with a silver spoon in their mouths – and you’d be surprised to learn that some of them started with absolutely nothing!
According to analysis by Merchant Cash Advance, an online finance portal, a number of celebrity millionaires grew up virtually impoverished and later became well-respected captains of industry.
These self-made millionaires are an inspiration for entrepreneurs or business owners, to say the least.
Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, is the richest name on the list, with a net worth of $60.2 billion. Although his opulent lifestyle may appear out of reach, Larry Ellison’s humble roots made him who he is today. As a child, his adopted father, according to sources, shattered his confidence with derogatory comments as he grew up in a working-class household in a poor neighbourhood.
Larry Ellison worked various jobs for eight years after dropping out of college before deciding to self-teach himself programming, which gave him a chance at a professional job before his talent took off and he founded Oracle.
Sheldon Adelson
He was raised in a two-bedroom flat in an underprivileged Boston area by his immigrant father, where he slept on the floor. He worked as a paperboy as a child to help support his family, and he dropped out of college to attempt to make some money.
His entrepreneurial spirit led him to try his hand at 50 different businesses and careers, ranging from selling magazine ads to windshield de-icers. His fortunes changed when Las Vegas Sands was founded, which is now the world’s largest casino enterprise, which is worth $38.1 billion to the late Sheldon Adelson.
Li Ka-Shing
Li Ka-Shing’s father died of tuberculosis when he was just 14 years old, prompting him to drop out of school and work in a plastics factory to support his family. When he was 22, he resigned from his job to establish his own business selling plastic toys, but after learning of their popularity in other countries, he swiftly switched his focus to plastic flowers.
The venture was named Cheung Kong, and it is today one of the world’s largest real estate investment corporations, with a net worth of $33.1 billion.
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren, who has a net worth of $7.2 billion and is a household name around the world, did not begin his life in such luxury. Ralph, who was nurtured by Jewish immigrant parents and worked as a clerk, immersed himself in the world of cinema to keep his imagination alive.
He subsequently went to work at Beau Brummell, a well-known tie maker, where he persuaded the president to allow him to design his own tie line. The Ralph Lauren Corporation was founded in 1967 and immediately became well-known across the United States.
Shahid Khan
Shahid Khan began washing dishes for $1.20 an hour after arriving in the United States from Pakistan at the age of 16 and worked his way through college, graduating and accepting a position with Flex-N-Gate. He took out a loan and launched his own business after he accumulated some savings. However, he had to go through a legal struggle to launch a competitive company while working at Flex-N-Gate.
Shahid Khan eventually bought over his previous employer and grew it into one of the largest private companies in the United States, raising his net worth to a staggering $7 billion.
Oprah Winfrey
A talk show icon and TV personality, Oprah Winfrey has a net worth of $2.9 billion. She moved in with her mother to a boarding house after a harsh upbringing by her grandmother, who subjected her to beatings. She often slept on the porch and endured years of physical abuse.
Oprah’s focused approach landed her part-time work as a newsreader for a local radio station, and she excelled and went on to additional professions such as newsreader and co-host of a TV chat show. Her first major break occurred when she presented a talk show called AM Chicago, which gradually evolved into the well-known Oprah Winfrey Show.
A full list of self-made millionaires is provided below:
Name | Net Worth $$$ |
Guy Laliberté | 1.2 billion |
Alan Gerry | 1.4 billion |
Kenny Troutt | 1.4 billion |
Mohed Altrad | 2.6 billion |
Howard Schultz | 2.9 billion |
Oprah Winfrey | 2.9 billion |
John Paul DeJoria | 3.2 billion |
Do Won Chang | 3.3 billion |
Ken Langone | 3.6 billion |
Stephen Bisciotti | 4.5 billion |
Shahid Khan | 7 billion |
Ralph Lauren | 7.2 billion |
George Soros | 8 billion |
Jan Koum | 9.1 billion |
Roman Abramovich | 11.5 billion |
Lakshmi Mittal | 17.8 billion |
Leonardo Del Vecchio | 23.5 billion |
Francois Pinault | 32.7 billion |
Li Ka-shing | 33.1 billion |
Sheldon Adelson | 38.1 billion |
Larry Ellison | 60.2 billion |
This research was conducted by Merchant Cash Advance
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