Started With Nothing And Eventually Built Empires
Success stories often begin in the unlikeliest of places—small towns, struggling families, or even the streets. Yet, through relentless determination and sheer perseverance, these 25 have risen from hardship to amass fortunes.
Oprah Winfrey
Struggling with poverty in rural Mississippi, Oprah Winfrey overcame a turbulent childhood to become a broadcasting powerhouse. She started working in the local news and then became a talk show legend, building a media empire that earned her billions of dollars.
Guy Laliberte
Once a fire-breathing street performer in Canada, Guy Laliberte dreamed of bringing a new kind of circus to the world. With no safety net, he co-founded Cirque du Soleil, which blends acrobatics and storytelling. His gamble paid off, and he transformed live entertainment into a billionaire project.
J K Rowling
A single mother on welfare, J K Rowling, was writing in cafes to stay warm. She got rejected by multiple publishers but never gave up on her dreams. When Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone finally hit the shelves, it launched one of the most successful franchises in history.
Christopher Furlong, Getty Images
Ingvar Kamprad
Raised on a small Swedish farm, Ingvar Kamprad showed entrepreneurial spirit early, selling matches and pencils as a child. In 1943, he founded IKEA, initially selling household goods by mail. His revolutionary flat-pack furniture concept turned IKEA into the world’s largest and most accessible furniture retailer.
Ministry of Enterprise, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Steve Bisciotti
While living in a Maryland trailer park, Steve Bisciotti knew hard work was his ticket out. He founded Aerotek, a staffing firm, which grew into a multi-billion-dollar business. With his fortune, he purchased the Baltimore Ravens, proving that vision can lead to extraordinary success.
Jay Baker, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Richard Branson
Dyslexia and poor grades didn’t stop Richard Branson from dreaming big. He launched a student magazine, then Virgin Records, before expanding into airlines, healthcare, mobile networks, and even space travel. With relentless ambition and a knack for risk-taking, he built Virgin Group into a global powerhouse.
Gulltaggen, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Tyler Perry
Who would believe that a struggling actor living in his car would become a Hollywood mogul? Tyler Perry spent years struggling to break into entertainment, but thanks to his hard work, his stage plays took off. He created Madea and a billion-dollar media empire.
Larry Ellison
Born to a single mother and raised by adoptive parents, Larry Ellison dropped out of college twice. Fascinated by computing, he co-founded Oracle in 1977 with just $2,000. His vision for database technology revolutionized enterprise software and made Oracle a tech giant.
Oracle Corporate Communications, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Kim Beom-Su
Kim Beom-Su’s childhood was marked by hardship as he grew up in a cramped one-room home in South Korea. He later founded Kakao, the company behind Korea’s top messaging app, KakaoTalk. His success revolutionized digital communication in South Korea and made him one of Asia’s wealthiest entrepreneurs.
ACROFAN, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Ursula Burns
Defying all odds, Ursula Burns was raised by a single mother in New York’s housing projects, Yet she worked hard to become the first Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company. She started as an intern at Xerox and climbed to the top, redefining leadership in corporate America.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
As a young man, Dwayne Johnson’s family was evicted, and he had just $7 to his name at one point. He pursued football but pivoted to wrestling, where he became “The Rock”. His charisma led to Hollywood, and now, with business ventures in tequila and sports, he’s a billionaire.
Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Shahid Khan
Shahid Khan immigrated from Pakistan to the US with $500 and washed dishes for $1.20 an hour. He later engineered a new truck bumper design and built a billion-dollar auto parts business. Today, he owns the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham FC.
Melissa Hillier, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
George Soros
Surviving Nazi-occupied Hungary as a child, George Soros fled to England, working odd jobs while studying. He later became a Wall Street legend, famously making $1 billion in a day betting against the British pound. His philanthropy and influence extend far beyond finance.
World Economic Forum, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Ralph Lauren
Growing up in a working-class Bronx neighborhood, Ralph Lauren dreamed big. With no formal fashion training, he started by selling ties. His vision for classic American style led to a global empire and proved that ambition and taste can turn a simple idea into a billion-dollar success.
FashionStock.com, Shutterstock
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey’s family struggled so much that they lived in a van. He performed relentlessly in clubs, facing rejection after rejection, but was determined to break into comedy. His role in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective made him a household name and became one of the most successful names in Hollywood.
Howard Schultz
As he grew up in a poor Brooklyn housing complex, Howard Schultz saw coffee as more than a drink—it was an experience. After joining a small Seattle coffee chain, he reimagined it as a cultural institution. Under his leadership, Starbucks transformed from a local roastery into a worldwide coffee powerhouse.
Roman Abramovich
Orphaned at two and raised by relatives in Soviet Russia, Roman Abramovich had little to his name. He started by selling plastic toys before venturing into oil and industry. His bold business moves built a fortune, eventually leading to his high-profile ownership of Chelsea Football Club until 2022.
Jay-Z
Jay-Z turned his struggles growing up in Brooklyn’s Marcy Projects into lyrics and launched his rap career independently when no labels would sign him. His empire expanded into fashion, streaming, hospitality, and sports management, making him a billionaire. He also helped launch the careers of other artists like Kanye West.
Joella Marano, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Do Won Chang
Arriving from South Korea with little money, Do Won Chang worked as a janitor and a gas station clerk to survive. However, he had a dream and was determined to make it happen. He and his wife later founded Forever 21 and turned his shop into a global fast-fashion empire.
Do Won Chang on what keeps Forever21 going by Mint
Francois Pinault
The son of a timber trader, Francois Pinault dropped out of school and started a small wood business. He later pivoted to luxury, acquiring Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and other top brands. His company, Kering, is now one of the biggest names in high-end fashion.
Leafar, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Dolly Parton
In rural Tennessee, Dolly Parton grew up with 11 siblings and no electricity in a one-bedroom cabin. Her songwriting talent propelled her to country music superstardom. With smart investments in Dollywood and entertainment, she built a billion-dollar empire while staying true to her roots.
LeBron James
LeBron James was raised by a single mother in poverty-stricken Akron but found his way out through basketball. Drafted into the NBA straight from high school, he became one of the greatest players of all time. Smart investments and business ventures pushed him into billionaire status.
Keith Allison , CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Jan Koum
Can innovation change someone’s fate? Jan Koum is the best to answer this question, as he immigrated from Ukraine to the US with his mother. Although they lived on food stamps, he taught himself coding and later founded WhatsApp. Koum sold WhatsApp to Facebook for $19 billion.
Jeff Bezos
The son of a teenage mother who later got adopted by his Cuban immigrant stepfather, Jeff Bezos, excelled in school. In 1994, he quit a Wall Street job to start an online bookstore in his garage. That startup, Amazon, grew into the world’s most dominant e-commerce empire.
National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution, Flickr
Zhou Qunfei
Growing up in rural China, Zhou Qunfei dropped out of school to work in a factory. She later started her own glass manufacturing company, Lens Technology, which supplies touchscreens to Apple and Samsung. Her grit and innovation made her one of the richest self-made women in the world.
Zhou Qunfei: The Billionaire Behind Your Phone's Screen 📱 by @BusinessMyopia
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