How She Made Her Pile
Oprah Winfrey, American TV Personality and Media Businesswoman
Who is she? She's the godmother of American chat shows and was America's first black female billionaire.
How did she make her millions? Originally a news anchor, Winfrey began hosting AM Chicago in the early '80s, and made it her own. Renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show, it grossed $125 million in its first year of US syndication.
Winfrey took $30 million and, through her Harpo company, won control of the show. She also owns O: The Oprah Magazine (circulation 2.7 million) and holds stakes in other media companies, including Viacom.
