Oprah Winfrey | Net Worth: $3.5 Billion

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey rose from poverty and became one of the richest and most influential people in the world. She started her media career as the first black female news anchor at WLAC-TV in Nashville, where she was also the youngest anchor in its history. By 1984, ABC network gave Oprah her very own 30-minute morning television talk show in Chicago, which came with a four-year, $1 million contract.

As Oprah’s career blossomed tremendously, she was able to earn enough investment money to put up her own productions company, HARPO. Her company had negotiated with ABC that included a magazine, movie productions, books, and the right to launch other television shows under HARPO’s umbrella. This has helped Oprah to reach the billionaire status that she’s enjoying today. By 2000, the talk show host reached that milestone and has been increasing her wealth since, which enabled her to buy luxurious properties like her Bentley Continental GT with a price tag of $200,000.