04/30/2026
Born to a teenage mother, Oprah’s early years were marked by extreme poverty in rural Mississippi and profound personal trauma. However, her life took a pivotal turn when a federal program allowed her to attend a suburban school, where she discovered a gift for public speaking.
That "knack" led to a radio gig, a college scholarship, and eventually, the 1984 takeover of a struggling Chicago morning show. The rest is media history.
Read more about how she made it on the Greatest Living Self-Made Americans list: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2026/04/09/forbes-self-made-250-the-greatest-living-self-made-americans/?utm_campaign=ForbesMainFB&utm_source=ForbesMainFacebook&utm_medium=social
📸: Art Streiber/August
