Forbes(LOS ANGELES) — Kylie Jenner, at age 21, is officially the youngest “self-made” billionaire in the world, according to Forbes.
“I popped up at a few stores, I did my usual social media. I did what I usually do, and it just worked,” Jenner told the publication.
Jenner’s billionaire status was already predicted, but with the exclusive expansion of her eponymous Kylie Cosmetics line into Ulta’s 1,000-plus stores, revenue increased by nine percent and kept growing. Now, her estimated fortune is $1 billion, and she’s replaced Mark Zuckerberg as the youngest self-made billionaire. Zuckerberg was 23 when he earned that distinction.
“I didn’t expect anything. I did not foresee the future,” Jenner explained to Forbes. “But [the recognition] feels really good. That’s a nice pat on the back.”
Forbes received a lot of backlash when they initially referred to the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star’s fortune as “self-made” 2018, with critics believing she was born into wealth. In her defense, Jenner responded in an interview with Paper, saying that “the self-made thing is true.”
“What I’m trying to say is I did have a platform, but none of my money is inherited,” Jenner said.
Even Dictionary.com threw shade on the “self-made” description, posting on Twitter: “Haven’t we gone over this? Self-made: Having succeeded in life unaided.”
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