5 Fun Facts about Oprah Winfrey's Fortune
"The Oprah Winfrey Show" , the talk show that achieved huge success on American TV, between 1986 and 2011, made its presenter not only the most influential celebrity in the United States, but also the richest black woman in the world. With an estimated fortune of US $ 2.6 billion (R $ 14.1 billion), Oprah has already been elected by the magazine "Time" as the main pop icon in the country, even defeating Mickey mouse
With its strong presence in the moments leading up to the presidential elections, its appearances on the covers of its own magazine ("O" is one of the most widely read in the USA) and on programs of the channel that bears its name (The Oprah Winfrey Network), and a contract with Apple Tv + to popularize the brand's streaming, Oprah is duly recognized as “Queen of All Media”.
Check out some remarkable facts in the history of this incredible star:
1 - She does her show
The presenter of "The Oprah Show" has always been her own boss, that is, the attraction was produced by Harpo - the producer of Oprah, who carries her name backwards. The program broke audience records and allowed her to reap the profits from her success alone. In 1995, Oprah overtook Bill Cosby, who until then was the richest black celebrity in the United States. Another important milestone was reached in 2003, when she became part of the restricted list of billionaires, being the first woman in history to achieve this feat.
2 - Prejudice
Anyone who thinks that, due to her influence and fortune, Oprah has never been a victim of racism, is wrong. On a trip to Zurich in 2013, the presenter went to a luxury boutique and, enchanted by a handbag from the brand Tom Ford, whose value was US $ 38 thousand (R $ 206.6 thousand), asked the seller to remove her from sealed showcase. The young woman refused, saying: "No, this is very expensive for you, take a look at the cheapest bags we have". The episode was released by the presenter on her social networks and printed news from several countries. In view of the more than embarrassing situation, the brand itself made an apology to him.
3 - The secret of success
For Oprah, the reason for his financial success is perhaps his lack of concern for money: "In everything I did in life, how much I was going to earn was always the least important thing," he said. In an interview for CNN, the presenter revealed only to sign checks when they exceed the amount of US $ 100 thousand (R $ 543,6 thousand). However, the star confesses that he still feels a little cold in the belly when paying his income tax - in the tens of millions of dollars.
4 - Living well is not synonymous with boasting
In an article published in her magazine “O, The Oprah Magazine”, in 2013, the presenter revealed that the reason for redecorating her $ 50 million mansion (R $ 271.8 million) was to make her guests more comfortable, something which is not so easy when you are surrounded by expensive objects and furniture. "I want to give dinners that reflect my way of being and I want people to feel free to repeat," he said. The removed items were auctioned off and all the money raised went to charity. With this initiative, Oprah still reaped good professional results, since the edition of “O” with this article was one of the most sold that year.
5 - Social causes
Oprah is also well known for her generosity. In 2007, she built a boarding school for girls in South Africa. Currently, the institution welcomes 380 students, at a cost of more than US $ 140 million (R $ 761 million) paid for by her. The NGO Angel Network, also created by the presenter in 1998, promoted actions on “The Oprah Show” and ended with the end of the program, but managed to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in favor of social causes. Oprah has also made individual donations, such as those made for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. He also contributed to the NGO Keep a Child, which helps children with the HIV virus and of which Alicia Keys is a global ambassador. In all, more than US $ 425 million (R $ 2.31 billion) was donated over the entire career.
