Oprah Winfrey: Early Life and Education, Notable Accomplishments, and Philanthropy

Oprah Winfrey is a beloved American icon and billionaire reportedly worth $2.8 billion as of the end of 2023. She is a multimedia executive, actress, writer, producer, talk show host, and philanthropist whose reach and success extend to nearly all aspects of media. A self-made success story, Winfrey is the recipient of hundreds of awards, from The People's Choice Award for her talk show to the prestigious  National Civil Rights Museum's Freedom Award in 2005.

Winfrey founded and is chair and CEO of a multimedia production company, Harpo Productions, and founder of O, The Oprah Magazine. She is also a spokeswoman and partial owner of many brands, including WW. Her generous philanthropic work reaches local, national, and global platforms.

Although Oprah Winfrey ended the iconic Oprah Winfrey Show in 2011, her empire continues to thrive and grow. She also continues to do in-depth interviews on primetime television and streaming services, like one-on-one interviews with actress Viola Davis. She also interviewed Prince Harry and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, Megan Markle in 2021.

Early Life and Education

Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on a farm in Kosciusko, Mississippi, on January 29, 1954. Her parents, Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey, separated shortly after she was born. Her maternal grandmother raised her. As a child, she was precocious and learned to read at a very young age. (According to some reports, she learned to read as young as two-and-a-half years old.) When she was six years old, she moved to Milwaukee and lived in a neighborhood steeped in poverty.

Later, at age 12, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee to be raised by her father. As a teenager, she returned to her mother's home in urban Milwaukee. Winfrey has spoken about the sexual and physical abuse she suffered during her early years living in Milwaukee. She moved back and forth between her parents' homes during her teen years.

Winfrey credits her father's guidance and dedication to education for helping her grow into an educated, accomplished young woman, despite her many hardships. She was a star student and won a full scholarship to Tennessee State University.

She won several accolades in college, including being invited to a White House youth conference. She was crowned Miss Fire Prevention, hired to read newscasts at a local radio station, and she won Miss Tennesse and Miss Black Nashville titles. At age 19, Winfrey landed her first television job at WLAC-TV (now WTVF), a CBS station in Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1976, she transferred to WJZ-TV, the ABC affiliate in Baltimore, Maryland. But after struggling to maintain the objectivity required to report news, she defected to a new, morning talk show called People Are Talking, which aired in 1977. Winfrey's casual, improvisational style helped her develop a natural rapport with guests, who felt comfortable telling their personal stories. By the decade's end, the show beat Phil Donahue's program in the local ratings.

Notable Accomplishments and Deeds

In January of 1984, Chicago's ABC affiliate WLS-TV offered Winfrey a 30-minute morning talk show called AM Chicago. Within one year, the show rocketed from last place to the top of the rating heap. In 1986, legendary film critic Roger Ebert encouraged Winfrey to license her show for a national audience through syndication. Her program was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and expanded to one hour in length.

At the age of 32, Winfrey became the first African-American, nationally syndicated television host. That same year, Winfrey was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film The Color Purple. She also launched the television production company Harpo Inc., making her the first Black person—and the third woman—to control her own major studio.

Maintaining ownership of her show allowed Winfrey to expand her business endeavors. In 1998, she co-founded Oxygen Media, a programming company. She also laid the foundation for the 2000 publication of O, The Oprah Magazine, co-authored multiple books on diet and exercise, and launched her influential Book Club in 1996.

Winfrey achieved billionaire status in 2003 at age 49. She co-produced a Broadway musical version of The Color Purple, created the Oprah.com website, and launched a 24-hour channel called Oprah Radio on XM Satellite Radio. She continued hosting her talk show until 2011. After ending her talk show, she created (and became the CEO of) OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. In 2015, Oprah bought a 10% equity stake in Weight Watchers International (WTW) and became a spokeswoman for the popular subscription weight loss program.

In 2002, she made TIME magazine's Top 100 list of influential people for the first time. She has now been included on the list 10 times, most recently in 2022.

Honors and Awards

Winfrey has won hundreds of prestigious honors and awards. She won the prestigious National Civil Rights Museum's Freedom Award in 2005. A longtime political advocate, Winfrey campaigned for President Barack Obama, who subsequently awarded her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. In the same year, she received honorary degrees from Duke and Harvard.

She's won 18 Daytime Emmy Awards—including the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Chairman's Award—two Primetime Emmy Awards—including the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award—a Tony Award, a Peabody Award, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, awarded by the Academy Awards.

In 2018, Winfrey was awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at the 75th annual Golden Globes. During her acceptance speech, Winfrey expounded on sexual harassment issues in Hollywood.

Wealth and Philanthropy

Winfrey is a major philanthropist in the United States and abroad, particularly in South Africa, where she has championed girls' education. She has donated more than $400 million to higher education, including 400 scholarships at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Because of her personal history of abuse—and to help others who've experienced abuse—Winfrey started a campaign for a national database of child abusers in 1991. President Bill Clinton signed what is known as "Oprah's Bill" in December 1993; this bill is the centerpiece of the National Child Protection Act, which created a national registry of convicted child abusers.

In 1987, Winfrey established the Oprah Winfrey Foundation as a way to "support the inspiration, empowerment, and education of women, children, and families around the world." Her life embodies her motto of "intent and service"; she has an unfailing and unflagging commitment to helping those in need. Her foundation has given out thousands of grants to nonprofits that support the safety, empowerment, and education of women, children, and other disadvantaged groups. Her Angel Network has formed partnerships and alliances with other philanthropic groups, such as Paul Newman's nonprofit.

Winfrey committed $12 million to assist vulnerable persons and the communities impacted the most by COVID-19 in March 2020; her contributions helped cities and states where Oprah has lived, including Mississippi, Nashville, Chicago, and Milwaukee.

The Bottom Line

Winfrey's hard work, resilience, and business acumen have led to her unparalleled success across multiple industries, She became a self-made billionaire in 2003.

Her achievements are especially impressive given the obstacles she's overcome, including poverty, abuse, and discrimination. She continues to offer her talents, expertise, and financial acumen to support those in need, from her multimedia company to her foundation, and beyond.