We have seen them dazzle us with their beauty, their successful lives and their rich lifestyle. But, behind their luxurious life, they have experienced a life that many of us can’t even imagine. These celebrities were not born with a silver spoon in their mouth, but grew up in poverty and foster homes before their luck shinned on them and they became successful in their careers. Here is a list of 5 celebrities who lived in poverty before they earned their success and started living the life of a star.
1# OPRAH WINFREY
Current Net Worth – $2.9 Billion
She is the queen! Oprah Winfrey is one those celebrities who literally proves the quote, From Rags to Riches! Oprah went through a very traumatic childhood and grew up in a poor family. She was born to a young teenage mother and grew up with her grandmother. Winfrey was so poor that she often had to wear clothes made out of potato sacks. But, it was with her dedication and hard work that Oprah established an empire of $2.9 billion. In fact today, she is the richest Afro-American woman in the world.
2# J.K. ROWLING
Current Net Worth – $1 Billion
J.K. Rowling stands second in the list and we wonder why! The writer hit the jackpot after she wrote the famous magical and wizardry series named Harry Potter. Joanne was never born in riches! She had to live a poor life and was a single mother who had difficulty feeding herself at one point. She used to write her books sitting in a cafes with her little baby by her side in a stroller. In fact, her agent even told her that she would never become successful by writing story books for children. Rowling earned millions from her books. She even donated a major part of her net worth to various charitable causes that are close to her heart. Today, she has a current net worth of $1 billion.
3# TOM CRUISE
Current Net Worth – $570 Million
One of the most successful actors in Hollywood, Tom Cruise is an actor who has reached the top after going through a lot of personal struggle. Looking at his successful career today, it’s very difficult to imagine a young and poor Tom. His mother left his father and took Tom and his sisters to the USA where she re-married. His father died due to cancer back in Canada. It was completely with the blessing of his mother and step-dad that cruise pursued acting as a career and today has a net worth of $500 million.
4# SHANIA TWAIN
Current Net Worth – $400 Million
A music sensation, Shania Twain may be one of the most successful country singers of the 90s, but she grew up amidst a lot of chaos in her Ontario home. Twain’s mother and step-father had a very abusive relation as a result of which, Twain’s mother put her kids in foster homes. In fact, Shania learned how to hunt in order to survive in the chilled winter of Canada. In fact, at one point there wasn’t enough food for them on the table. Moreover, her parents passed away in an accident and Shania was left to look after her siblings. It was only after her siblings were old enough to look after themselves, she pursued her career in singing and accomplished a net worth of $350 million.
5# LEONARDO DICAPRIO
Current Net Worth – $260 Million
Leonardo Di Caprio is one of the finest Hollywood actors! He is known not only for his amazing acting skills but also his charity causes. But what we don’t know is that the actor once led a poor life and was surrounded by violence, drugs and prostitution. All these things had a deep impact on his life. It was then that he decided to take charge of his life and change it. He didn’t want his life to end up like that of others on the street.
