

Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to Marie Claire. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Kylie Jenner is on the cover of Forbes, with the magazine proclaiming she’s on track to become America’s youngest-ever self-made billionaire. (Take that, Mark Zuckerberg.) Now, there’s no doubt that Kylie is incredibly, obscenely rich, with a net worth of $900 million, mostly thanks to Kylie Cosmetics. But is “self-made” really the right term?
A post shared by Forbes (@forbes)
A photo posted by on
Business Insider points out that some critics on Twitter argue that Kylie might not fit all definitions of “self-made.” After all, she comes from a wealthy family, and that family made her a celebrity when she was just a preteen thanks to Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
calling kylie jenner a ‘self-made billionaire’ is like claiming you made soup from scratch because you opened a can and reheated it.July 11, 2018
kylie jenner’s “self-made” empire is almost as funny as donald trump’s “small loan of 1 million dollars”July 11, 2018
erm. being born into extreme wealth & instant fame is the exact opposite of “self made” https://t.co/c9rZyx03AlJuly 11, 2018
Calling Kylie Jenner self-made without acknowledging anywhere the incredible headstart she had is what allows people to turn around and look at poor people and ask them why they haven’t become billionaires yet. Her story is not inspiring or motivating for anyone https://t.co/YMnTSzHlKPJuly 11, 2018
Even Dictionary.com got involved, defining “self-made” as “having succeeded in life unaided.”
Self-made means having succeeded in life unaided. Used in a sentence: Forbes says that Kylie Jenner is a self-made woman. https://t.co/sr8Ncd7s5A https://t.co/ehEL7Cf6KVJuly 11, 2018
But that’s not how Forbes is defining “self-made.” Instead, they are using the term to distinguish people who built their own businesses from people who inherited wealth or their family businesses. “We consider any person who built her own fortune, and didn’t inherit the money, to be self-made,” Forbes notes. “So top executives at tech firms who are compensated for helping significantly grow companies make the ranks but not second generation women running family businesses.”
Kylie Jenner thus fits Forbes’ definition of “self-made,” because her fortune comes from Kylie Cosmetics, a company she started and owns. Kylie ranks at number 27 on Forbes’ list of “America’s Richest Self-Made Women,” and Kim Kardashian also appears on the list at number 54. Other beauty moguls like Huda Kattan (Huda Beauty) and Jamie Kern Lima (It Cosmetics) also appear on the list.
RELATED STORY
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

Megan Friedman is the former managing editor of the Newsroom at Hearst. She's worked at NBC and Time, and is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.
-
Taylor Swift is at Travis Kelce’s Chiefs Game in Kansas City—With His Mom, Donna
Well, that clears that up.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Prince William and Princess Kate Literally Face the Same Woe as Every Other Parent
They may be royalty, but kids are kids.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Expert Says of Princess Kate’s Recent Transformation That “We Are Seeing the Real Kate Now”
Her revved up charisma matches that of a beloved royal family member that was anything but self-conscious.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Sarah Hyland and Adam Devine Play 'How Well Do You Know Your Co-Star?'
The 'Modern Family' stars reunited for the 'Pitch Perfect' spinoff series.
By Brooke Knappenberger
-
The 78 Best Celebrity Couple Halloween Costumes of All Time
Honestly, we're impressed.
By Charlotte Chilton
-
Super Rare Photos of Queen Elizabeth as a Young Woman
From childhood snapshots to portraits as a young princess, beautiful and rare photos of the late Queen Elizabeth as a young woman.
By Mehera Bonner
-
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla's Relationship: A Timeline
With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles has ascended to the throne as king.
By The Editors
-
Who Is Next in Line for the British Throne, Explained
And yes—Harry and Archie are still in the line of succession.
By Andrea Park
-
Who Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Fiancé Riley Roberts?
AOC's husband-to-be is an "easygoing redhead" who lives with her in D.C.
By Katherine J. Igoe
-
68 Times the Kardashians Posed Fully Nude and Owned It
And we mean fully nude—as in, not a shred of clothing.
By Bianca Rodriguez
-
Who Is Jonathan Owens, Simone Biles's Fiancé and NFL Player?
"The easiest yes!" Simone wrote about the couple's engagement.
By The Editors