Inspiring stories of celebrities, actors, actresses, and famous people give us personal thrust in life. It is really amazing to know the fact that some of the famous people we know as kids and from history were poor. Famous personalities such as Charlie Chaplin, Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger fought poverty to become wealthy and rich. This list is for those who think that life is really hard and want to overcome hardship. These guys are real-life heroes and we can conclude that nothing is impossible in life.
A list of ten famous people who were poor and have become richlater:
10. Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin is a world-famous comic character and is one of the most iconic figures in the film industry. He rose to fame during the era of silent films. After becoming popular, he became a worldwide icon through his screen persona “the Tramp”. Many do not know the poor side of Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin’s childhood was spent in hardship and poverty. Under the absence of his father, his mother struggled financially. Charlie Chaplin was sent to a workhouse twice before the age of nine. At the age of 14, his mother was sent to a mental asylum. At the age of 19, Chaplin became part of the prestigious Fred Karno Company which became the start towards his success. Eventually, Chaplin went to America. After appearing in films for the company in 1914, he rose to world prominence. By 1919, Chaplin was one of the best-known figures in the world.
9. Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey is a famous stand-up comedian from Canada. Carrey is known for his highly energetic performances and a great sense of humor. We can consider him as one of the funniest character on-screen. The Mask was one of his best movies we can never forget. In 2011, Carrey opened up to reveal his childhood trauma and poverty. At the age of 12, his father lost his job. During this time, Carrey had to work in a factory after school to make-up the financials of his family. The family had to live in a van for some time.
While Carrey was struggling to obtain a job, his father washelpingthe young comedian put together a stage act. In Toronto, Carrey’s first showat comedy club Yuk Yuk’s led to an impersonations bomb. During this period, he lost self-confidence and never thought of becoming a professional comedian. The family had to struggle financially to support Carrey’s ambition. Slowly, the family’s financials eased and Carrey went on to become a famous and reputed comedian during the 90s.
8. Jennifer Lopez
The world-famous singer, Jennifer Lopez was once homeless. In 2013, during an interview withW Magazine,she made a revelation about the fact that she was homeless at the age of 18. Her family was relatively poor during her teenage. She fought with her mother Guadalupe Rodriguez over her career choices and was forced to sleep on a sofa in her dance studio. She continued to sleep on the sofa for some time until she came out with flying colors. The actress got successful within a year.
7. Leonardo DiCaprio
In 2014, Leonardo DiCaprio made a revelation about his poor childhood. The award-winning actor was a poor kid living in the violent streets of Los Angles. In the interview with the Los Angeles Times, the actor told that he grew up “very old” in the run-down neighborhood of Los Angeles. His parents separated when he was just a year old. He mostly grew up with his mother. At the age of 15, he told his mother that “I want to become an actor”. DiCaprio went on to become a star because of his mother’s hard work and support. After appearing for several TV commercials in the 90s, he got the chance to work for TV serials. This was the kick-start of an acting career. He bought laurels, money, fame, Oscar, the Golden Globe, and many more awards.
6. James Cameron
Many of us do not know the terrible side of James Cameron – one of the highest grossing filmmaker in the world. At one stage James Cameron was so poor that he had to eat scraps of food of room-service trays at a pensione he was staying at. He was even forced to steal bread for his livelihood. The Canadian director was not much known at one point in time. Pirahna II: The Spawningwas the only film under his belt for some fame. That movie was not of so much success and Cameron ran out of money and trust. Nobody in the world was ready to sponsor the director to direct The Terminator which was just a script from the dreams of Cameron.The bankrupt and homeless Cameron had to sell the rights of The Terminator for a meager amount of $1 as told by him to the Toronto Sun back in 2009. Cameron regrets this decision!
5. J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling is an inspiration for all those single moms and women out there. At one stage in her life, she was homeless. In a 2008 Harvard commencement speech, J. K. Rowling said that “An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless … By every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew”. J. K Rowling went into deep depressions and even considered suicide. She overcame the hardships to become one of the world’s wealthiest women and the UK’s best-selling author.
4. Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig had become one of the highest paid James Bond ever. Many do not know the poor side of Craig. Daniel Craig was once homeless and had to sleep on park benches in London. Those were his struggling days to become an actor. Daniel Craig is one of the several actors to have become rich from rags. The actor had to even work part-time in restaurants during his teenage. Craig is a true example of how nothing in this world is impossible. His movie Skyfall became UK’s highest grossing film until 2015.
3. Tom Cruise
The stunning Mission: Impossible actor, Tom Cruise grew up in poverty and abusive environment. The American actor grew up inSyracuse, New York with his abusive father. The once poor Cruise hit hard to become rich quickly and luckily at a relatively young age. His acting career started at the age of 19 with the filmEndless Love. Apart from his childhood stories, his marital life was also not so healthy. He had to divorce three of his spouses – Mimi Rogers, Nichole Kidman, and Katie Holmes. From childhood poverty to great wealth, and simple dramas to big movies, he is a real-life hero.
2. Arnold Schwarzenegger
The world-famous seven times Mr.Olympia and Terminator: Judgement Dayhero was once poor as well. The muscle man was born in a tiny Austrian village of Thal in 1947. According to reports, Schwarzenegger’s family didn’t have enough finance to buy electricity, flush toilets, or refrigerator. He was from a poor and modest family. They only had enough money to afford food rations. It is incredible for someone from such a humble background to have become a millionaire. He has been an inspiration with his acting and bodybuilding, if not politics.
1. Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan was another incredible human-being to have fought poverty. The action star was born to a poor family in China on April 7, 1954. The family was so poor that they were almost about to sell their baby Jackie Chan to a wealthy family. They were unable to afford the baby’s medical bills. But, they eventually kept him, worked really hard to raise him in Hong Kong. The family relocated to Australia where their hardship continued. At the age of seven, Chan was introduced to the China Drama Academy. The academy’s education, strictness, and discipline helped Jackie Chan with his great achievements the world has seen.
FAQs
10 Famous Celebrities Who Were Poor? ›
- Leighton Meester. Chic and polished celebrity Leighton Meester was actually born in a Texas prison while her mother served time for drug smuggling. ...
- Celine Dion. ...
- Shania Twain. ...
- Jim Carrey. ...
- Tom Cruise. ...
- Demi Moore. ...
- Leonardo DiCaprio. ...
- Sarah Jessica Parker.
It's impossible to discuss rags-to-riches stories without mentioning Oprah Winfrey. Arguably the most recognizable woman in the world, Oprah boasts a net worth of $3.2 billion and the status of an entrepreneur who changed daytime television forever.
What country singer grew up poor? ›Dolly Parton
Country music icon Dolly Parton grew up dirt poor. She was raised in a one-room cabin in the woods with dirt floors and little money. Her parents worked hard to stretch a dollar, she told Money. Regardless, of her $500 million and growing net worth, old habits die hard.
Halle Berry
The Academy Award winner resided in a homeless shelter during her 20s along with her mother in Chicago. “It taught me how to take care of myself and that I could live through any situation, even if it meant going to a shelter for a small stint, or living within my means, which were meager.
Oprah Winfrey
Despite such achievement, Oprah grew up in severe poverty in rural Mississippi.
- Sean "Diddy" Combs has always been boastful about his success, but that's because it came after years of hard work. ...
- Oprah Winfrey was shuffled between family members in rural Mississippi, where they sometimes wore potato sacks because they couldn't afford clothes.
Oprah Winfrey
She was able to overcome all the difficulties she faced in life, and become one of the most successful TV shows in history, which propelled her to becoming a billionaire.
John Paul DeJoria
In a 2011 interview with Forbes, DeJoria — who was once in foster care — discussed growing up poor in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. “We didn't know that we were really going through tough times, because everybody was going through the same thing,” he said.
Winfrey's media empire made her a billionaire in 2003 at age 49, but she began life at the other extreme. Born in rural Mississippi to an unmarried teen mother, she grew up in poverty and endured years of sexual abuse.
What famous people started with nothing? ›- John Paul DeJoria. Entrepreneur John DeJoria is entirely self-made. ...
- Jan Koum. Could you live without Whatsapp? ...
- Howard Schultz. ...
- Oprah Winfrey. ...
- Do Won Chang. ...
- Ralph Lauren. ...
- Sophia Amoruso. ...
- Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.
Who is the richest actor? ›
Making Jerry Seinfeld one of the world's richest actors. He makes approximately $50 million annually. Actress and investor Jamie Gertz is the richest actor in the world. The '80s star's net worth is estimated to be $3 billion.
Was Dolly Parton poor? ›Her Family Was Very Poor
As Parton put it, her family was "dirt poor;" she was born in a one-room cabin in rural Tennessee. Her father, Lee, didn't have the money to pay the doctor who delivered her, so he paid him with a bag of cornmeal instead.
Singer Ella Fitzgerald was homeless before becoming the Queen of Jazz. She would go on to sing for President Ronald Reagan in 1981, but before becoming "arguably the finest female jazz singer of all time," Fitzgerald was a homeless teenage runaway until debuting at the Apollo Theater in 1934.
What actress is homeless? ›Celebs and public figures who were evicted, went broke, or became homeless include Debbie Clark, Margot Kidder, Alex Lambert, Natasha Lyonne, and Brett Butler. The former celebrities listed below made their living as actors, sports stars, and musicians with varying degrees of fame.
What famous female was homeless? ›Halle Berry
The actress revealed that after she moved out of her parents' house when she was 21 years old she lived in a homeless shelter in New York.
Net Worth: $6.5 billion
George Lucas is the richest celebrity of 2020 with a net worth $6.5 billion.
Meena Kumari
She didn't have enough money to pay her hospital expenses when she passed away.
So, how do actors really survive financially? Besides sound financial management (month to month budgeting, a savings strategy, investing in retirement ASAP, spending less than you earn, building an emergency fund) they must build a secondary income stream they have complete control over.
Was Elon Musk born rich or poor? ›Through the years, Elon Musk gained huge popularity in the media and online. There are also several reports suggesting that the billionaire was actually born into a wealthy family and his father owned an emerald mine.
Who is the most broke person in the world? ›The world's poorest man Jerome Kerviel has handed himself in to French authorities. Jerome Kerviel, the ex-Societe Generale trader who has more debt than anyone else in the world, has turned himself in to French authorities to begin a three-year jail sentence.
Who got rich at an old age? ›
Taikichiro Mori. Taikichiro Mori was a popular economics professor at Yokohama City University in Japan when at age 55, he quit his job to become a real-estate developer. At the time of his death in 1993 at age 88, he was worth at least $3 billion, making him the richest man in the world at that time.
Who is the richest person to go broke? ›Allen Stanford
He defrauded about 18,000 people, many of them retirees, out of their savings. His scheme reportedly took in over $7 billion. After his scheme was uncovered, Stanford's net worth dropped to zero.
As a result, Jerome Kerviel is the world's most indebted man making him the poorest person in the world. He is an ex-Societe Generale Trader who was sentenced to three years in prison after surrendering to French authorities. Jerome Kerviel owes $6.3 billion making him the most indebted person in the world.
What religion is Oprah Winfrey? ›Winfrey sees herself as both both a Christian and a critic of Christianity, says Lofton. She was raised in the Baptist church, describes herself as a consistent reader of the Bible, and through her television show, basically built the church that she wanted.
What did Oprah Winfrey lie about? ›NEW YORK: Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey lied about her past by exaggerating accounts of her poverty and making up instances of sexual abuse, according to a new unauthorized biography.
What is called poverty? ›Poverty is about not having enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing and shelter. However, poverty is more, much more than just not having enough money. The World Bank Organization describes poverty in this way: “Poverty is hunger.
Who is No 1 entrepreneur in world? ›Bill Gates. Bill Gates is one of the most famous entrepreneurs of our era. The richest man in the world, Gates has a net worth estimated to be over $79 billion. He's held the title of "world's wealthiest individual" for 16 of the past 21 years.
Who are 3 successful entrepreneurs? ›- Andrew Carnegie. Andrew Carnegie was an American entrepreneur who actually immigrated from Scotland. ...
- Henry Ford. ...
- Oprah Winfrey. ...
- Bill Gates. ...
- Larry Page.
Reese Witherspoon is now the world's wealthiest actress, worth an estimated $400 million, after selling a majority stake in her production company, Hello Sunshine. Witherspoon began her career at 14, in the 1991 film The Man in the Moon, before bending-and-snapping her way to A-list fame in 2001's Legally Blonde.
Who is God of acting? ›Mohanlal is referred as the god of acting. His talent of natural acting is amazing. He received these awards and honours as a part of this.
Why are Dolly Parton's arms covered? ›
Does Dolly Parton wear long sleeves to hide her tattoos? Though the singer has never confirmed that the reason she wears long sleeves is to cover her tattoos, she has confirmed that she originally got tattoos to cover up her scars.
Is Dolly Parton related to Miley Cyrus? ›Country legend Dolly Parton is Miley Cyrus' godmother. Parton said she was given that role due to her close relationship with Cyrus' father, Billy Ray. Cyrus and Parton have both spoken fondly about their relationship over the years.
What is Dolly Parton's real name? ›Dolly Rebecca Parton is born to Robert Lee Parton and Avie Lee Parton near Sevierville, Tennessee.
Who's the richest homeless person? ›Nick Mocuta's wealth soared to $40 million
Now, Nick said he is dealing with more than thousands of clients a day and his wealth soared to $40 million. He said now he can afford whatever he wants to eat at some of the most expensive hotels in the United States.
John Paul DeJoria went from homeless to billionaire by following 3 simple rules. It's not often that a homeless person living out of his car can dramatically alter his circumstances and become a billionaire.
Who is the most famous homeless person? ›- Sylvester Stallone. The action star, Sylvester Stallone, who is famous for his “Rocky” movies, used to be homeless before hitting any projects. ...
- Kelly Clarkson. ...
- Hilary Swank. ...
- Daniel Craig. ...
- Margot Kidder. ...
- Jim Carrey. ...
- Halle Berry. ...
- Jennifer Lopez.
In his book, Ed Sheeran said that he spent nights in 2008 with no place to stay, even prompting him to sleep outside Buckingham Palace. He has clarified in multiple media interviews since then that he didn't consider himself homeless, but instead relied on the help of friends.
What celebrities support the homeless? ›- Jon Bon Jovi.
- Kirk Douglas.
- Kate Linder.
- Gilles Marini.
- Brandon Molale.
Number of county residents without permanent housing has soared from 45,000 to 66,000. Los Angeles is home to movie stars and Hollywood glitz and glamour — as well as America's second-highest population of homeless people, with numbers growing rapidly amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
What pop star was homeless? ›Kelly Clarkson
But getting there wasn't quite so easy. Wanna talk about bad luck? The day she and her roommate moved into an apartment complex in Hollywood, the building caught fire. The twosome were then forced to live in a car and then eventually had to take up residence homeless shelter.
Who is the poorest man in the world? ›
As a result, Jerome Kerviel is the world's most indebted man making him the poorest person in the world. He is an ex-Societe Generale Trader who was sentenced to three years in prison after surrendering to French authorities. Jerome Kerviel owes $6.3 billion making him the most indebted person in the world.
What celebrity has a negative net worth? ›Chris Tucker
But despite such robust paydays, Tucker is currently $11.5 million in the negative as a result of foreclosed homes and several years of back taxes, according to The Motley Fool.
If Forbes stuck Jenner in its 2017 lineup of America's 10 wealthiest celebrities, she'd fit somewhere between David Copperfield – ranked No. 5 and worth $875 million – Michael Jordan, No. 4 and worth $1.4 billion. She is richer than Jay-Z.
Who is the richest celebrity? ›Net Worth: $6.5 billion
George Lucas is the richest celebrity of 2020 with a net worth $6.5 billion.
John D. Rockefeller was born in 1839. He started working at a young age and established Standard Oil Company in 1870. Eventually, this firm became one of the most powerful companies in history, making Rockefeller the first-ever billionaire on the planet when it was worth $1 billion in 1916.
Who is a trillionaire? ›It was in fact Jeff Bezos who was set to become the first trillionaire. However, he is now forecasted to reach US$1.06 trillion in 2030, six years behind Musk in sixth place. Gautam Adani and Zhang Yiming are anticipated to be the next to amass more than US$1 trillion after Musk, according to the study.
Who is the richest kid in the world? ›Princess Charlotte of Cambridge
Princess Charlotte of Cambridge is the richest kid in the world with an estimated net worth of $5 billion.
United States President Ulysses S. Grant was broke after leaving the Oval Office. Michael Jackson, MC Hammer, and 50 Cent all went from being top musicians with great wealth to bankruptcy and debt. Actors like Nicolas Cage and Kim Basinger have also declared bankruptcy.
What celebrity is in the most debt? ›1. Michael Jackson. The King of Pop reportedly died $400 million in debt. Selling more than 61 million albums in the U.S. didn't stop the singer from borrowing, and spending, huge sums of money over his career.
What celebrity has the nicest house? ›Bill Gates' 'Xanadu 2.0' in Medina - $125 Million
Bill Gates' mega-mansion 'Xanadu 2.0' is the number one most expensive home at a value of $125 million!
Who is the youngest billionaire? ›
Now Wang, 25, is the youngest self-made billionaire. And while he still partners with buzzy companies, today he's got $350 million in government defense contracts. This has helped Scale hit a $7.3 billion valuation, and give Wang a $1 billion net worth (as he owns 15% of the company).
Which rapper is a billionaire? ›Jay-Z. The rap giant and music mogul comes in at number 2,076 on this year's Billionaires List with a net worth of 1.4 billion dollars.
Who is richer Kanye or Drake? ›Kanye vs Drake: Battle Of The Richest - YouTube
Who is the No 1 celebrity in the world? ›Dwayne Douglas Johnson is not only one of the most popular actors in Hollywood but also the most popular actors in the world. That's why he is the most popular celebrity in the world as of 2022. This American actor, businessman, and former professional wrestler is currently has a huge fan base all over the world.
How is Justin Bieber so rich? ›According to Celebrity Net Worth, Justin Bieber's salary can range anywhere between $60 to $80 million per year. Bieber's salary is made up of multiple streams of income from his music career and brand partnership deals, to endorsements and personal business ventures.
Is any actor a billionaire? ›Net Worth: $400 Million
As of August 2022, Arnold Schwarzenegger's net worth is $400 million, and he's become one of the richest actors in the world; as well as the richest bodybuilder in the world.