Oprah Winfrey is a media proprietor, highly acclaimed talk show host, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and actress. According to Forbes, the “Oprah Empire” is currently worth $2.5 billion. She is widely known for her talk show, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which had been hailed as the highest rated television program in history. Known for her title as “Queen of All Media,” Oprah is recognized as the richest African-American in the history of the United States. She is also the first ever black multi-billionaire in North America and tagged as the most outstanding black philanthropist in the country.

Oprah was born on January 29, 1954 to Vernon Winfrey and Vernita Lee in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Interestingly, she was supposed to be named “Orpah” in reference to the Bible. However, confusion in spelling and pronunciation led to her being called “Oprah” instead. She then grew up in the care of her maternal grandmother following the separation of her own parents. Following a tumultuous childhood marked by sexual abuse, Oprah moved to Nashville and lived with her father who worked as a barber and a businessman.

In 1971, Oprah enrolled at Tennessee State University and worked for radio and television broadcasting companies in Nashville. Following her graduation, she worked as a local news presenter for WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Maryland. She was later on selected to host “Baltimore Is Talking” with Richard Sher. In 1984, she moved to Chicago, Illinois and became the anchor for a morning talk show called “A.M. Chicago.” Her presence in the show was eventually felt as she took a poor performing segment into one of the most widely anticipated shows in the state. By September 1985, “A.M. Chicago” was renamed as the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and received an hour-long air time.