From Rags To Riches: 6 Celebrities Who Initially Struggled Financially and Are Now Worth Millions

We often tend to see the fame and money associated with celebrities overlooking their struggle and the hard work they had to put in to reach the limelight. The path is not always covered with roses and most of these million-dollar-people had to significantly fight against poverty and finally emerge successful.

It's their determination and perseverance that they are now worth millions in spite of struggling in their youth. Here are six celebrities who should be an inspiration to all of us.

6. Oprah Winfrey

Oprah was born at Mississippi to a single mother but lived with her maternal grandmother during her first six years. She was so poor that Oprah had to wear dresses made from potato sacks. That invited taunts and comments from the local kids. When she proceeded to live with her mother Vernita later, Vernita struggled to make both ends meet. At age nine, she was sexually abused and it continued for some time.

She led the worst possible life for a child. And yet, she fought through it all and is now the richest African-American according to Forbes. The $3.1 billion dollar worth celebrity was also awarded the Presidential Medal Of Freedom by former President, Barack Obama.

5. Tom Cruise

The three times Golden Globe Awards winner had both poverty and an abusive father to deal with in his youth. Cruise described his father as 'a merchant of chaos'. Cruise was often beaten by his father. He stated,

"He was the kind of person where, if something goes wrong, they kick you. It was a great lesson in my life—how he'd lull you in, make you feel safe and then, bang! For me, it was like, 'There's something wrong with this guy. Don't trust him. Be careful around him.'"

Cruise started his acting career by appearing in the 1981 film Endless Love. His fame as a superstar grew manifold after he starred in Top Gun. Now, he is worth $570 million dollars. Guess he won't have to look back anymore.

4. J.K. Rowling

Rowling suffered from domestic abuse during her marriage. She was with child and was jobless. Her marriage had failed. Considering herself as a failure, she entered into a state of depression and even thought of pursuing the path of suicide. She was in a desperate state and had to sign up for welfare benefits.

Rowling was living on state benefits when Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published. The first 1000 copies of the book are today valued between £16,000 and £25,000. After her first book was published, she didn't have to look back. More than 450 million copies of the Harry Potter series has been sold worldwide. The movie franchise itself has made over $7.7 billion dollars. The woman who gifted the wizarding world to us is now worth $1 billion dollars.

3. Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo's mother and father were separated while he was still young. His mother worked several jobs to support their family. Their home also wasn't in a friendly neighborhood as Leonardo mentioned in The Independent,

“[There was a] major prostitution ring on my street corner, crime and violence everywhere. It really was like Taxi Driver in a lot of ways.”

Leonardo began his career working in some commercials. Di Caprio made his first breakthrough when he was chosen from a group of 400 young actors to play the lead role in This Boy's Life, by Robert De Niro himself. Leonardo won the Academy Award for the Best Actor for his impeccable acting in The Revenant, in 2016. He is now worth $245 million dollars.

2. Celine Dion

Celine grew up as the youngest of 14 kids in Charlemagne, Quebec. Her father was a homemaker. She was brought up in a poor, but happy environment. She remarked to Vanity Fair of her childhood,

“I grew up in a very, very, very small house. We weren’t poor, but we never had money … We were given love and affection and support. What else did we need?”

She not only the Grammy Awards five times, but won our hearts with her famous song (a ballad originally), 'My Heart Will Go on' (from the Titanic movie). Dion won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song for this piece. She has sold more than 220 million albums worldwide and is now worth $800 million dollars.

1. Stephen King

Stephen's father walked out on his family when he was two years old. Stephen and his older brother, David were raised by their mother under great financial instability. They barely made both ends meet. His mother's parents fell ill when he turned 11 and his mother took care of them. Having no source of income, they had to borrow money from relatives to sustain themselves.

Showing interest in horror, he started writing horror fictions. His first professional short story was named 'The Glass Floor'. His notable works include The Slinger and The Dark Tower series. The author is now worth $400 million dollars.

These celebrities are an epitome of dedication and utter perseverance. They proved to the world that with complete focus and determination, one can achieve anything and poverty can't remain an obstacle forever. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day. They should be an inspiration for us all.