Oprah Winfrey. Everyone knows who she is, and most of up grew up watching The Oprah Winfrey Show.
And it should surprise no one that she is the wealthiest female entertainer in the world, with an eye-watering net worth of $2.8 billion.
This is an astronomical feat for a woman who faced an uphill struggle in her career, from poverty to racism and sexism.
But how did she get to this point, though?
People Are Talking
Oprah started her TV career at WLAC-TV when she was just 19.
She then moved to ABC’s WJZ-TV.
However, she became dissatisfied with the mandatory objectiveness of news reporting.
So, she jumped at the chance to join People Are Talking, a new morning talk show.
Here, she got the chance to share her opinion on the news.
She had a natural improvisational and casual style that made guests feel comfortable speaking to her and sharing their intimate stories.
The show became a massive success by the end of the 70s.
The Oprah Winfrey Show
In 1984, Oprah was asked to host AM Chicago, a half-hour talk show.
She took the show from the lowest to the highest rated in just one year.
In 1986, Roger Ebert advised her to license her show for a national audience.
After syndicating it, the show’s name changed to The Oprah Winfrey Show, which was an hour-long.
Oprah was still just 32, which made her the first and youngest Black nationally syndicated TV show host.
The Oprah Winfrey Show ran for several decades until 2011.
During that time, Oprah became one of the most influential women globally, winning multiple awards and being the host that every celebrity and politician wanted to know.
By 1995, the show had earned Oprah a net worth of over $340 million.
Acting
Oprah Winfrey has acted in various roles—including herself—in numerous roles.
Her debut was 1985’s The Color Purple, which showed her acting prowess and earned multiple Best Actress nominations.
Other film highlights in her career include:
- Beloved
- The Butler
- Selma
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
- A Wrinkle in Time
Harpo Productions
Oprah formed Harpo Productions in 1986 after the success of The Color Purple.
It acquired The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1988 and has created several other shows, including:
- Dr. Phil
- Rachael Ray
- The Dr. Oz Show
- The Nate Berkus Show
- The Rosie Show
- Super Soul Sunday
- Iyanla: Fix My Life
- Oprah Prime
- Oprah: Where Are They Now?
- Oprah’s Master Class
- Oprah’s Lifeclass
- The Me You Can’t See
Harpo Productions has also launched the Oprah Winfrey Network and Harpo Print, which published O Magazine.
The production house is also behind Black-led films like Precious, The Water Man, and Selma.
It’s no secret that Harpo Production has made Oprah the bulk of her wealth.
Real Estate
Oprah currently lives in “The Promised Land,” a 42-acre estate in Montecito, California.
She bought it for $50 million in 2001, which means its current value must be a lot higher.
In 2016, she bought a 23-acre estate called the Seamair Farm Estate.
She is also a landlady for a real estate spanning 41 acres in Orcas Island, Washington.
Weight Watchers
In 2015, Oprah invested $43 million into Weight Watchers.
This gave her a 10% stake in the company.
The value of her investment has skyrocketed to $218 million.
Oprah: From Zero To Billions
Oprah Winfrey’s journey to the top has been full of hurdles.
However, she has overcome her adversities to become one of the world’s most powerful women.
She has earned her place in the billionaires club.
