At the beginning of March, Forbes magazine released an article stating that Kylie Jenner is the youngest self-made billionaire. Remembering that she was only a preteen when “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” first premiered in 2007, I knew that she had grown up extremely privileged and in the luxury of the Kardashian limelight. So when I opened up the link, I expected clickbait.
I was shocked to find out it wasn’t a satirical article and that Forbes defended their argument that she actually is a “self-made” billionaire. In another article, they explained their scale system to determine the level of self-made; one on the scale meant that the billionaire inherited all of their earnings while a ten was someone who had started from almost nothing with their example being Oprah Winfrey. Kylie was ranked as a seven on the scale.
This exaggeration of Kylie Jenner’s success completely diminishes the inspiration that stories of “self-made” successes can have on college students nationwide. Stories of normal people working hard and achieving success without being given much help encourage students that not only the rich and privileged can succeed in life.
It’s important to first refute Forbes’ definition of self-made by citing the basic, yet clear, Merriam-Webster definition which is “made such by one’s own actions; especially having achieved success or prominence by one’s own efforts.” Kylie, and many other celebrities turned billionaires, have more opportunities, connections and financial support from external resources that aid in their journeys, thereby making their success stories not self-made.
The easy jump from privileged celebrity to billionaire can discourage college students from trying hard, citing the idea that “they got to where they are because they were already rich, so I’ll never make it.” This celebrity privilege is similar to the “old boy” network which haunts both the job market and college admissions. Garth Saloner, a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, explains the nepotism that exists with both job and university decisions when parents have connections with others through university, sports, etc.
This type of privilege exists for dependents whose parents had the opportunity to go to big-name schools or work in exclusive companies. If a mediocre high school senior were to get into an ivy league due to their parent’s connections and legacy at the university, most people would agree that the student didn’t get there on their own. Likewise, if someone (i.e. Kylie Jenner) were to become a billionaire with their family’s help, would we really call them self-made?
It’s great to see in the news that the rich and privileged are getting called out for their blatant cheating and bribery, as seen with the recent college admissions cheating scandal. Acts like these help return the hope that there is karma and justice in the world and those that work hard and are ethical can have success too.
Additionally, NC State has produced distinguished entrepreneurs that have started companies such as Undercover Colors and Cree and is proud to celebrate the success of these alumni. These success stories during the alumni’s time on campus further inspires current students and proves that self-made stories can start during their time as a part of the Wolfpack.
Yet there is still a need for media outlets such as Forbes to redefine their meaning of self-made, because students need inspiring, true stories of people who have genuinely worked for every part of success in their lives. How a Jenner that grew up in the limelight of the Kardashians is classified as a self-made billionaire, well, I just can’t keep up with that.
