Let's Take A Look At Which Famous Celebrities Are Self Made And Which Ones Grew Up Rich
Many of us might not even think twice about whether or not a celeb was born rich, but you might be surprised to hear about some of these celebrities.
Celebrities can look like they all came from the same world of money, fame, and easy access, but their backgrounds are often much more complicated than they seem. Some were born into privilege, while others had to build everything from scratch.
This roundup looks at stars like Nicki Minaj, Bradley Cooper, Hilary Swank, and Oprah Winfrey, comparing who grew up rich and who had to fight their way up. A few names may surprise you, especially once you see how different their childhoods really were.
From family money to hard-earned success, the contrast is the whole point. Here’s how these celebrities stack up.
Hilary Swank: Self-made
The actress grew up in a trailer park in Washington.
Steve Granitz / WireImage / Getty ImagesHere's what she had to say about her situation.
Here's what she had to say about her situation.
"I had a roof over my head and I had food, so it wasn’t that being poor and having those experiences was negative. The negative part of it was learning about class at such a young age, not from my friends, but from my friend’s parents, who would say, 'You aren’t to hang out with her.'
At six years old, to have a parent say, 'You’re not welcome in our home; you need to go.'"
Pier Marco Tacca / Getty ImagesShe has many famous family members.
Cara Delevingne: Grew up rich
Cara actually has many important titles in her family and even has ties to the royal family.
Dominique Charriau / WireImage / Getty Images
She had a lot to say about how she grew up.
She has many famous family members.
Her family knows Princess Margaret and the Prince of Wales. Her father was a property developer, and her godmother is English actress Dame Joan Collins.
Alex Davies / GC Images / Getty Images
Bradley's father was a stockbroker.
Nicki Minaj: Self-made
The rapper's family moved from Trinidad to New York when she was just five years old.
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images
Here's what she had to say.
She had a lot to say about how she grew up.
Nicki says, "I would go in my room and kneel down at the foot of my bed and pray that God would make me rich so that I could take care of my mother." She also spoke about how her mother would rent out their home to make ends meet, and her family would stay in the basement.
Jason Laveris / FilmMagic / Getty Images
Her father was the breadwinner.
Bradley Cooper: Grew up rich
Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images
She goes on to say a bit more about how she grew up.
Bradley's father was a stockbroker.
His father was a stockbroker for Merrill Lynch, and his mother worked for NBC. He also attended an elite college.
Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic / Getty Images
Their parents were known for their careers.
Leighton Meester: Self-made
Believe it or not, she was actually born while her mother was in prison.
Michael Kovac / Getty Images for Lionsgate
Here's what she had to say about what she remembered.
Here's what she had to say.
"Jimmy doesn't like me! Who cares? I was worried we didn't have gas money or food. Those were my concerns." She says this to explain that her worries weren't the same as the kids around her.
Tommaso Boddi / WireImage / Getty Images
His ties are very strong.
Emma Stone: Grew up rich
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images
Oprah grew up in Mississippi.
Her father was the breadwinner.
Emma's father was president and CEO of a commercial construction company. He still works in construction and has collaborated with companies to bring in millions of dollars.
Gregg Deguire / WireImage / Getty Images
Sarah Jessica Parker: Self-made
Sarah was one of eight children.
Michael Loccisano / Getty Images
Here's what she had to say about money and happiness.
She goes on to say a bit more about how she grew up.
"I remember being poor. There was no great way to hide it.
We didn't have electricity sometimes. We didn't have Christmases sometimes, or we didn't have birthdays sometimes, or the bill collectors came, or the phone company would call and say, 'We're shutting your phones off.'"
Francois G. Durand / WireImage / Getty Images
Both of her parents were well known.
Jonah Hill & Beanie Feldstein: Grew up rich
Todd Williamson / Getty Images
He speaks about the little things that affected him as a kid.
Their parents were known for their careers.
Their mother was a fashion stylist and costume designer, and their father was an accountant for Guns N' Roses.
Kevin Winter / Getty Images
Her father and mother both had reputable careers.
Selena Gomez: Self-made
Her mother had her at 16, and then her mother and father divorced five years later.
Tibrina Hobson / Getty Images
He grew up in poverty but made ends meet when he found his career.
Here's what she had to say about what she remembered.
"I remember my mom would run out of gas all the time, and we'd sit there and have to go through the car to get quarters to help her get gas."
Leon Bennett / WireImage / Getty Images
Her life was not ordinary.
Anderson Cooper: Grew up rich
Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images
Dolly is one of twelve.
His ties are very strong.
Anderson is actually the great-great-great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, who made a fortune in shipping and railroads and was also one of the richest individuals in American history.
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Her father won 80 Grammy Award nominations.
Oprah Winfrey: Self-made
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Here's what she said about how she grew up and her living situation.
Oprah grew up in Mississippi.
She grew up in a rural part of Mississippi and frequently had no running water, even making clothing out of potato sacks.
Jeff Vespa / WireImage / Getty Images
It seems that his father carried all of the important titles.
Ariana Grande: Grew up rich
Her mother was the CEO of a communications company, and her father founded a graphic design firm. Ariana's first performance was at a Panthers game, where she sang the National Anthem.
Steve Granitz / WireImage / Getty Images
This is what he had to say.
Kelly Clarkson: Self-made
Jared Siskin / Getty Images for Warner Music Group
Just kidding.
Here's a bit about the family.
Whether or not these celebrities were self-made or grew up rich, clearly they are thriving now. Overall, it was fun to see what celebrity parents do for a living.
As we can see, you can go from poverty to wealth in a few years with hard work and dedication. Although, it seems that some celebrities had it easier than others.
Next, see why this woman refused to lend money to her struggling sister, despite dire need.
