Oprah Winfrey’s Success Story: Journey from a horrifying past to become “Queen of All Media”

• “True forgiveness is when you can say, “Thank you for that experience.”

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most powerful women in the world, whose life shows that life isn’t always a bed of roses, but those who can stand up for thorns can build their own rose bed. Her life story is full of tragic events that can lead a person from a low-income family to reach the pinnacle of success.

Who Is Oprah Winfrey?

American host

• Born: 29 January 1954 (age 68 years), Kosciusko, Mississippi, United States
• Net worth: 260 crores USD (2022) Forbes
• Partner: Stedman Graham (1986)
• Parents: Vernon Winfrey, Vernita Lee
• Siblings: Patricia Lofton, Patricia Lee Lloyd, Jeffrey Lee

Oprah Winfrey is a media mogul, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist from the United States. Her best-known work is her chat show The Oprah Winfrey Show, which was syndicated nationally in Chicago, Illinois from 1986 to 2011, and was the highest-rated television show of its kind in history.

Harpo Productions

Media company

• Founder: Oprah Winfrey
• Founded: 1986
• CEO: Oprah Winfrey (1986–)
• Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, United States
• Number of employees: 12,554 (2012)
• Parent organization: HARPO Entertainment Group

Harpo Inc. is an American multimedia production business situated in West Hollywood, California, founded by Oprah Winfrey. It is the sole subsidiary of Harpo, Inc., her media and entertainment firm.

Feature films

• Beloved (1998)
• The Great Debaters (2007)
• Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)
• The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)
• Selma (under Harpo Productions, 2014)
• The Water Man (2020)

Telefilms

• Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Albom’s For One More Day
• Tuesdays with Morrie
• Their Eyes Were Watching God
• Amy & Isabelle
• David & Lisa
• The Wedding
• Before Women Had Wings

God helps those who help themselves

Oprah was born in a rural area of Mississippi (southern U.S. state) to a single adolescent mother who worked as a housemaid and couldn’t afford even the most basic things. She had to endure a difficult upbringing that was marked by abuse and poverty. There was no one to provide care while her grandmother used to beat her. To hide their bodies, they had to wear dresses made out of potato sacks.

Although her grandmother used to scare her, she taught Oprah to read and write. So, when Oprah was two and a half years old, she taught her to read. Oprah acquired a love for reading at a young age, and by the age of three, she learned and recited all the verses. People who came to the church called Oprah “The Preacher” because of her ability to read the Bible.

When Oprah was 9 years old, she was molested by her uncle, cousin, and a family friend. After years of abuse, neglect, and molestation, she ran away from home at the age of thirteen. When she was 14, she gave birth to a preterm baby who did not survive and died shortly after delivery.

She was afterward given to her father, who placed a high value on her education and sent her to school. Despite being bullied by her classmates because of her poverty and skin colour, she never gave up. Oprah worked hard in school, taking public speaking and theatre classes. She was also elected as the president of the school. She won a public speaking contest after finishing high school and was awarded a scholarship for her higher studies.

No looking Back

Despite obstacles in her early career, she took several broadcast jobs to establish herself and hosted a morning show called “People Are Talking”, which earned her a favorable reputation. After that, she was given a chance to host a show named AM. Chicago, which became the highest-rated talk show of all time and was such a huge hit that the show was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show.

She became known as the “Queen of all media” after excelling in her job and achieving international popularity. Oprah Winfrey Network, or OWN, is a cable network owned by Oprah Winfrey. With a net worth of 2.9 billion dollars, she is the only black multibillionaire and biggest black philanthropist in American history. She is currently the wealthiest African-American woman in history. President Barack Obama has given Oprah the Presidential Medal of Freedom, as well as honorary doctorate degrees from Duke and Harvard.

Inspiring quotes of Oprah Winfrey

• “Turn your wounds into wisdom.”
• “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough”
• “True forgiveness is when you can say, “Thank you for that experience.”
• “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”
• “You don’t become what you want, you become what you believe.”

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