It’s no secret that a lot of the big names and familiar celebrity faces we come across today weren’t always hugely successful. And we know it’s a bit unbelievable because we are talking about multimillionaires here. There’s just no way we can ever imagine they once had to live regular lives like us regular people.
But if that’s unbelievable, wait until you learn that you may even be better off right now than they were at some point in their lives. No way, right? Well, let’s have a look at some of these celebrity millionaires.
Oprah Winfrey, Talk Show Host and Actress, $2.5 billion
As an African American, the talk show host and actress Oprah Winfrey has made some record-breaking achievements in her time. At some point, she was the only Black billionaire globally, and Forbes revealed her net worth as of 2021 to be $2.5 billion.
Considering Winfrey’s success, it’s fascinating to know she came from a very poor family and was once scraping by just to meet her needs. She once worked at a local grocery store and even stole money from her mother so that she could spend it like her rich peers in school.
J.K. Rowling, Author and Film Producer, $1 billion
There’s hardly anyone who doesn’t know and love the Harry Potter movies, and we have the first British billionaire author, J. K. Rowling, to thank for that. The series was adapted from her award-winning novels, which have sold over 500 million copies.
Just before writing the series, Rowling was living a completely different life than she did after her novels began to gain recognition. Her financial status was described as being poor in modern-day Britain, and she had to depend on government benefits to fend for herself and her daughter.
Robin Thicke, Musician, $10 million
Not minding that the 2021 drama of Emily Ratajkowski’s assault allegation against Robin Thicke has put him on the media front again. His 2013 song, “Blurred Lines,” brought him to the limelight and established his celebrity status. Many people consider him a one-hit-wonder, but that’s not even close to the real story.
In the beginning, Thicke had no money to fund his music group’s first demo recording, and it eventually had to be paid for by someone else. He managed to support himself through songwriting, but when he eventually ventured into releasing his studio album, the first attempt was a disaster.
Harrison Ford, Actor, $300 million
“From Carpenter to Multimillionaire” should be the header on Harrison Ford’s gravestone if he doesn’t get to a billion before then! The famous actor is well known for playing significant roles in “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars,” but he’s had his humble beginnings.
After his less than impressive debut in the film industry, he failed to get better roles. Unable to meet the needs of his wife and two sons, Ford, in his late 20s, embraced the carpentry profession to supplement his earnings. At the age of 35, he got his first big-time role in “Star Wars,” and he’s now worth quite a fortune.
Barack Obama, Author and 44th U.S. President, $70 million
Former President Barack Obama’s story is a popular one, and it remains largely inspirational. Obama was never one to be so concerned about money, although the need was always rearing its head. Before we even dreamed of addressing him as Mr. President, he had once scooped ice cream for a living, and at some point, his wife was the breadwinner of their family.
It was after his political career took flight that money started coming in. His books started gaining more recognition, and he received millions in royalties from those bestsellers, including newer productions like his autobiography in 2020, “A Promised Land.”
Lupita Nyong’o, Actress, $10 million
Lupita Nyong’o is a Kenyan-Mexican actress who was originally only famous locally for acting in the Kenyan TV series “Shuga” and playing a role in the short production “East River.” She wasn’t worth much in her early days, but she started to gain attention after an exceptional role she played in “12 Years a Slave.”
Nyong’o has also featured in many notable films like “Black Panther,” “Get Out,” and “Queen of Katwe.” All of which earned her a fortune and sealed her place as one of her time’s most successful actresses.
Samuel L. Jackson, Actor and Film Producer, $250 million
Things were not always so great for the now-famous actor who’s one of Hollywood’s biggest names. Samuel L. Jackson beat the odds after battling and defeating addiction, a problem many celebrities of his time had and never recovered from. After his rehabilitation, he featured in the famous 1991 movie “Jungle Fever,” ironically as a drug addict, thus beginning his journey to stardom.
Jackson is Marvel’s Nick Fury, and that role has reeled in millions of dollars for him. Starring him in a movie costs nothing less than $10 million, and his shows have grossed more than $27 billion worldwide.
Sylvester Stallone, Actor and Screenwriter, $450 million
Sylvester Stallone’s life and career have been quite eventful and not always in a good way. The famous actor had a turbulent childhood and a formidable career before his rise to fame. Stallone is worth nearly half a billion in 2021, but the success that we’ve come to know from movies like “The Expendables” and the famed “Rocky” film series only tells a part of his story.
Stallone hit a point in his career where he almost gave up acting entirely. He settled for insignificant roles and had to take odd jobs like cleaning at a zoo and being an usher at a movie theatre just to get by.
Janice Dickinson, Model, $500 million
Janice Dickinson earned her place as the first supermodel, but some even though it was a self-acclaimed title. It was still a well-deserved one for her, though, after enduring several rejections from modeling agents in addition to childhood paternal abuse. Her success came in the ‘80s, and daily gigs for her were raking in about $2k.
For someone who was originally rejected, Dickinson was in demand quite a lot. She went on to feature on the cover of Elle magazine and international Vogue editions. Aging is not so great for models, but Dickinson wisely ventured into photography and opened her jewelry line, contributing to her huge net worth.
Kristen Wiig, Actress and Comedian, $25 million
The movie industry is a tough one. Any successful actor will concur, and the American comedian and actress, Kristen Wiig, was no exception to its brutality. On approaching 30 years of age, she was still selling hot dogs, doing laundry, and babysitting, among other things, while striving for her big break.
It finally happened in 2007. Two years after debuting on “Saturday Night Live,” she hit the big screens in the hit comedy film “Knocked Up.” Wiig has since amassed a little fortune for herself and is now one of the famous faces on TV. We saw her in the 2021 trailer for Netflix’s “A Boy Called Christmas.”
Jon Hamm, Actor and Producer, $40 million
After a career full of struggles, American actor and Golden Globe-winner Jon Hamm achieved fame through his captivating role in the “Mad Men” TV series. Indeed, in 13 long years, before his big break, he had waited tables, been a set designer, and was let go by his agency.
Hamm arrived in Hollywood with nothing but his car and about $150 ready to take on acting. But in a single television series, Hamm’s struggles eventually paid off. After “Mad Men,” he has featured in other popular movies like “Baby Driver,” “Tag,” and 2021 “No Sudden Move.”
Melissa McCarthy, Actress and Comedian, $90 million
In 2021, Forbes listed one of our TV favorites, Melissa McCarthy, as one of the highest-paid actresses in American movies. McCarthy has always been an exceptional actress and stand-up comedian, but her talent wasn’t noticed on the appropriate scale until “Bridesmaids.”
As the show got positive criticism, McCarthy’s reputation soared, and she went ahead to feature in notable movies, including 2016 “Ghostbusters” and Netflix’s 2021 “Thunder Force.” The small-town farm girl who once played minor roles in films is now officially a big-time star worth an estimate of $90 million at 51.
Ang Lee, Filmmaker, $32 million
Most people don’t give movie directors enough credit for their roles in film production. The Taiwanese filmmaker, Ang Lee, had his fair share of setbacks before becoming well known for famous movies like 2003 “The Hulk” and 2019 “Gemini Man,” which features popular actor, Will Smith.
At a point in Lee’s life, his wife was the breadwinner of the family for six years while he remained unemployed, and he was basically in her care until things turned around for him when he did an outstanding job directing the 1991 movie, “Pushing Hands.”
Martha Stewart, Writer and TV Personality, $400 million
The famous writer and TV personality, Martha Stewart, once ventured into different jobs like catering in her basement, working as a hostess, and rearing poultry. Then, as we are all aware, she became a media mogul and an extremely successful entrepreneur.
She started her journey to fame with the release of her first cookbook, “Entertaining,” which was written in 1982, and eventually built up businesses that made her a billionaire in 1999. Although her net worth dropped significantly since then, she was still worth almost half a million in January 2021.
Reid Hoffman, Entrepreneur, $2.4 billion
Reid Hoffman is a successful internet entrepreneur famous for founding the LinkedIn social network for business and professional networking. Before attaining such heights, Hoffman worked as an employee for companies like PayPal, Fujitsu, and Apple.
Hoffman has always been successful in many ways, right from childhood. Still, it’s a really long way from the time when he farmed for maple syrup and drove oxen during high school. He has since sat in as a partner for Greylock Partners in 2021 and is one of the world’s billionaires at 54 years of age.
Kathy Bates, Actress and Director, $20 million
Kathy Bates is an Academy Award-winning actress whose career took off with the 1990 movie “Misery,” which is what won her the Best Actress Award in 1991. Bates’ rise to fame was not instant in any way; the actress had to work through the industry playing many minor roles while in her 30s before getting her platform to stardom.
After several appearances on subsequent shows that include “Titanic,” “Two and a Half Men,” and 2020’s “Home,” Bates at 73 in 2021 is worth $20M. She is on the set of a political thriller with John Cena called “The Independent.”
Leslie Jones, Comedian, $7 million
Comedians don’t have it easy, and Leslie Jones is one of them, but her story will teach you how to get back up after failing so many times. Jones had her share of failures as an American comedian, and while hoping for a big break, she fended for herself working shifts and performing at comedy clubs.
She finally earned a spot on the “Saturday Night Live” TV series, which propelled her career forward. She also began getting acting roles and featured in the 2016 “Ghostbusters” and the 2021 “Coming 2 America” sequel.
Christoph Waltz, Actor and Director, $30 million
Christoph Waltz is an award-winning Austrian-German actor who has built up some wealth through his career. He was only well known within the confines of German theatres but got famous in 2009 for his role in “Inglourious Basterds.” He was notably seen again in 2012 “Django Unchained,” and the two movies both earned him an Academy Award.
Since being based mainly in the United States, Waltz has gone ahead to act in more movies like “Alita: Battle Angel” in 2019 and remains a prominent face in the industry to date. He is worth about $30 million in 2021.
Bryan Cranston, Actor and Screenwriter, $40 million
You would hardly remember seeing the “Breaking Bad” actor Bryan Cranston in ‘80s films when he started acting because he was stuck playing minor roles and doing advertisements. He’s popular today, but there were no signs he would achieve such a level of fame.
His career began to bloom in the ‘90s with his role in “Seinfeld” and eventually, he got a lead role in “Malcolm in the Middle.” The “Breaking Bad” series was what propelled him into some fortune, winning him several awards both as an actor and director.
Thomas Siebel, Technologist and Businessman, $3 billion
Tech has taken the world by storm, and some of the wealthiest people in the world today are in the same line of business. The same goes for the billionaire businessman and technologist Thomas Siebel, who made his massive fortune by being the CEO of an artificial intelligence software platform called C3.ai.
In 2004, Siebel faced some issues with poor returns from sales. All this led to him losing the leadership position in his company, passing the title of CEO to someone else, and taking the role of chairman instead.
Jeremy Renner, Actor, $80 million
You would easily remember the American actor, Jeremy Renner, as Clint Barton (Hawkeye) from “The Avengers,” or more recently for his appearance in 2021 “Black Widow.” The actor has become quite popular, but he wasn’t always in the spotlight. His first big break in the industry came in 2002 with his outstanding role in the movie “Dahmer,” and he has never looked back since.
Before becoming the well-known actor he is, worth about $80 million, Renner was always found acting in minor roles or playing guest roles that never lasted. He needed to support himself financially and took to being a makeup artist to make ends meet.
Phylicia Rashad, Actress and Film Director, $60 million
Phylicia Rashad is an American actress popularly known as Claire Huxtable in “The Cosby Show.” She’s had a fantastic career that has brought her millions of dollars, and this role was her gateway to celebrity status. In May 2021, the actress was appointed as dean of the fine arts college at her alma mater, Howard University.
Before Rashad got to this point of success, she faced some disappointment in the past. In the early days of Rashad’s career, she understudied Sheryl Lee Ralph in “Dreamgirls” but was passed over when it was time to fully replace her. Rashad left the show after this, but it didn’t keep her down long.
Ellen Degeneres, Comedian, $490 million
The famous Ellen Degeneres of “The Ellen Degeneres Show” is worth almost half a billion in 2021, which is no child’s play. Her chat show which has had its 19th season in 2021, reels in a fortune for the celebrity TV host.
Her success came after she had struggled through a series of jobs in her 20’s to stay afloat. She was once a waitress and a bartender, and she also sold vacuum cleaners. Even when she started stand-up comedy, her first talk show, “The Ellen Show,” brought her fame.
Halle Berry, Actress, $90 million
The famous Oscar winner and former Miss World runner-up Halle Berry may seem too beautiful to have lived in a homeless shelter before her fame, but it’s the actual story. Long before she achieved superstar status, she did sleep in a homeless shelter when she needed to find a cheaper way to rest her head than she could afford in Hollywood.
The struggles she endured paid off, and she is one of the most sought-after actresses in the industry, worth $90 million in 2021. Some of her popular appearances are in movies like “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” “John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum,” and Storm in the “X-Men” series.
Sarah Jessica Parker, Actress, $150 million
The small-town girl from Ohio, Sarah Jessica Parker, now a famous actress, achieved fame after starring as Carrie Bradshaw in “S** and the City.” Her fame and fortune are noteworthy considering the difficulty she faced growing up in a family of nine children.
There was a time in Parker’s life when holidays and birthdays were hardly ever celebrated, owing to the unavailability of money to indulge in those festivities. Sometimes, the family lacked electricity and couldn’t even use the phone because they couldn’t afford to pay the bills. But with a net worth of $150 million in 2021, those days are long behind her.
Dolly Parton, Singer-Songwriter, $350 million
Catering for a family of 12 children can be very tasking, and there’s no way the country music singer, Dolly Parton, could have had things easy, especially financially. Her parents struggled to provide for a large number of kids, and it was always difficult. It was in that environment, however, that Parton found her love for music.
She was always around musicians, and they inspired her to pursue her musical dreams. Parton started singing publicly at the age of 10 and became an outstanding musical talent that has won 11 Grammys and has 25 songs that hit no.1 on country music billboard 100 as of 2021.
Ed Sheeran, Singer-Songwriter, $200 million
All over the world, no one can claim not to know who Ed Sheeran is in the music industry. The London singer has achieved global fame with hit songs like “Thinking Out Loud” and “Perfect” and is still dominating the industry with songs like “Shivers” from his 2021 unreleased album.
Sheeran struggled before achieving career success. He had spent nights homeless, sleeping in underground train stations and on heating vents just to stay warm. He played his music in small places with the few people who would listen and kept at it until his audience started getting bigger. He finally got to the limelight with the song “The A Team.”
Leonardo DiCaprio, Actor, $262 million
Leonardo DiCaprio has seen life on both sides. The famous actor, who is well known for his role in “The Wolf of Wall Street,” is worth a fortune but grew up as a very poor kid in an environment where drug use and violence were the order of the day.
His career wasn’t also smooth. He found it hard to get an agent who would take him and almost quit the acting dream when he was without work for nearly two years, despite having done over 100 auditions. He eventually had his shot at fame when he was cast in the 1997 movie “Titanic.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Former Governor and Actor, $410 Million
Arnold Schwarzenegger is a former governor of California and a former action film actor who played the title character in “The Terminator” film series. He has been successful in both career paths and has amassed a fortune to his name.
Schwarzenegger grew up under challenging conditions in post-World War II Austria. His family had regular unavailability of food, and the environment was very unsafe, with riots frequently happening just outside their door. It was even a notable event when the family bought their first refrigerator to show you the extent of poverty Schwarzenegger came from.
Celine Dion, Singer, $800 million
Large families are always challenging to manage, and the famous singer Celine Dion happened to be in this sort of family situation as the youngest of 14 kids. Supporting the kids was tough for Dion’s parents, and she shared a bed with about three of her siblings.
Dion is now one of the best-selling artists globally, with a whopping net worth of $800 million as of 2021. She was propelled into fame with the theme song of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” in 1992, along with the release of hit songs like “My Heart Will Go On.”
Roman Abramovich, Businessman and Politician, $14.50 billion
Roman Abramovich is known across the globe as a multi-billionaire with stakes in Evraz, Norilsk Nickel, and the UK's Chelsea soccer team. He also owns the world's third-largest yacht, which he bought for a cool $400 million in 2010 with his net worth of $14 billion.
However, before he landed on Forbes' Billionaires List, he was an orphan growing up in Moscow. Always motivated to make something of himself, Abramovich left college to be an entrepreneur. He flipped multiple investments in companies such as oil industry giant Sibneft, Russian Aluminum, and steelmaker Evraz Group to turn huge profits.
John Paul DeJoria, Entrepreneur, $4 billion
Billionaire Founder of the Paul Mitchell Systems, John Paul DeJoria, is a serial entrepreneur whose success came when things weren’t going great for him. With a loan of $700 and collaboration with hairdresser Paul Mitchell, the Paul Mitchell Systems was founded just after he was fired from a previous job.
DeJoria has some billions to his name in 2021, but he once sold shampoo door to door and was sleeping in his car for a while. He also worked as a janitor and an insurance salesman to afford his basic needs.
Howard Schultz, Businessman, $5 billion
Billionaire American businessman Howard Schultz could be rightly regarded as the father of America’s coffee culture. He worked with Starbucks in the early ‘80s but quit to start his specialty coffee shop, Il Giornale. He eventually merged this with Starbucks and turned the franchise into an international success.
Schultz has had a remarkable journey to success. He grew up in a home where his parents worked for very long hours to earn something significant to support the family. Watching his father struggle financially compelled him to do well in school, and now his kids certainly can’t go through a similar experience.
Ralph Lauren, Fashion Designer and Businessman, $8.2 billion
The Polo Ralph Lauren brand is known worldwide as an established clothing line, and Ralph Lauren, the man behind this entrepreneurial success, has made an entire fortune off of it. The billionaire, whose life goal, according to his high school yearbook, was to be a millionaire, has beat that goal by quite a lot.
Lauren came from a poor neighborhood in the Bronx and was determined to become rich. He worked as a sales assistant for “Brooks Brothers” and later as a tie salesman. When he started his clothing line, he had only a small space in the Empire State Building.
Larry Ellison, Businessman, $91 billion
Larry Ellison is one example of why you shouldn’t listen to anyone telling you that you can’t make it in life. Ellison’s adoptive father repeatedly made him feel that way. Still, now, as the co-founder of Oracle Corporation, he is one of the world’s wealthiest people with a net worth of $91 billion.
Ellison never thought he’d be rich. In his early life, he lived on the south side of Chicago, a famously notorious area, and he had dropped out of two universities. He finally moved to California and took on some odd jobs before finally establishing his company which led to his success.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Professional Footballer, $195 million
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a globally famous footballer who plays for Serie A club AC Milan as a striker. The 40-year-old who is close to retirement has successfully sealed his name as one of the greatest footballers of his generation and the fifth richest player in 2021, worth $195 million.
Ibrahimovic’s early life showed no indication of the type of success he had achieved. His father was a raging alcoholic who split with his mother when he was two. Money was scarce, and Ibrahimovic took to shoplifting sometimes and stealing bikes to survive. He also felt inferior to other well-to-do kids at school but channeled that anger into being the best.
Ángel Di María, Professional Footballer, $18 million
Ángel Di María grew up poor in Argentina and took up working with his parents in a coal yard to assist the family financially. Young Di María, at the time, was already interested in football but had no shoes to play and his parents couldn’t support his hobby because of how poor the family was.
Now one of the world’s top wingers, Di María plays for the Argentina national team and Ligue 1 French club, Paris Saint Germain. He stopped his parents from working entirely, and the family is very comfortable.
Luis Suárez, Professional Footballer, $70 million
Uruguayan footballer Luis Suárez, who plays for Atlético Madrid, one of the top teams in La Liga, and plays for the Uruguay national team as a striker. Suarez is one of the most successful footballers globally and is worth $70 milliom in 2021.
His story before professional football is a difficult one. At the time, he played football on the streets without shoes since he could not afford them. And when his father left after the divorce, he was left with his six siblings with no one to cater for them adequately. Suárez took to sweeping the streets to raise money for his family at the age of 15.
Luka Modrić, Professional Footballer, $75 million
Having a childhood during the highlight of the independence war in Croatia, Luka Modrić found things tough for himself. The poverty his parents faced caused them to send five-year-old Modrić off to shepherd goats with his grandparents. But even with the hellish situation in Croatia, Modrić kept the passion for football and played on through his childhood.
He is now a professional Croatian footballer and plays for the top Spanish team, Real Madrid. The midfielder is the captain of the Croatian national team and is worth about $75 million in 2021.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Professional Footballer, $500 million
The legendary Portuguese footballer Christiano Ronaldo is arguably considered the best player globally, and of course, we expect Lionel Messi’s fans to have our heads. He plays for Manchester United as a striker and also captains the Portugal national team.
Ronaldo, who is worth a whopping half a billion in 2021, grew up poor as the youngest son of a cook and gardener. He had two older sisters with whom he shared a small room alongside his mother. It was a shocking discovery when his mother revealed that she almost went through with an abortion when she was pregnant with him because of how poor the family was.
Neymar Jr., Professional Footballer, $200 million
Neymar Jr. was catapulted to fortune in a single transfer to PSG in 2017. He extended this contract in 2021 with the team to 2025. He now earns a salary of $42M making him one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. But this success is a far opposite of what his life was like growing up.
Neymar came from a low-income family. His father worked three jobs to keep the family afloat, and at one point, they had to live with their grandparents to ease the financial difficulty of staying in their own home as they couldn’t pay most of their bills.
Alexis Sánchez, Professional Footballer, $50 million
Alexis Sánchez is a Chilean footballer who plays as a striker for the Serie A top club, Inter Milan, and the Chile national team. He has been on loan from Manchester United since August 2019. He is worth $50 million in 2021, a huge fortune compared to his early childhood in Chile.
When Sánchez was born, his father was unemployed, and his mother was a simple horticulturist. The entire burden of raising him eventually fell on his mother after his father left. She worked multiple jobs to provide for their needs, but that couldn’t sustain them with increased living costs, and his uncle had to adopt him as his own.
Franck Ribéry, Professional Footballer, $70 million
The French professional footballer, Franck Ribéry, plays for the Serie A team Salernitana. After his background placed him in a disadvantaged French neighborhood where low income and unemployment are the order of the day, football has raised him and his family out of that trend.
Ribéry has achieved significant success in his football career. He was nominated in 2014 alongside Messi and Ronaldo for the Ballon d’Or. He is worth $70 million in 2021 and is still striving to be the best in football. Although he doesn’t have much goal-scoring attributed to him, he is one of the best players in the game.
Dani Alves, Professional Footballer, $60 million
The famous Brazilian footballer Dani Alves is a right-back for the top La Liga team, Barcelona. He also plays for the Brazil national team. Alves is worth $60M in 2021, and it is well deserved considering all he has gone through in his childhood.
Alves’ father was a simple farmer who struggled to provide for his family. Alves, from a very young age, took responsibility and assisted his father on the farm relentlessly. He even worked as a trader and a waiter in order to support the family, and he still spent his nights on hard cement beds.
