'Forbes' Calls Kylie Jenner a Self-Made Billionaire

Image Credit: Forbes

Kylie Jenner has managed to create one of the most relavent, influential cosmetic empires of the current beauty landscape, and she’s well on her way to becoming the youngest billionaire.

Her success is commendable, and this milestone is something to be celebrated. At 21, Jenner’s makeup brand Kylie Cosmetics is worth $900 million dollars, with an expected rise to $1 billion coming in the near future. This milestone landed the Kylie Cosmetics owner a Forbes cover acknowledging her success. It was all good until Forbes named Jenner the “youngest-ever self-made billionaire.”

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While we can acknowledge Kylie Jenner’s success and how she has been able to utilize social media and her image to garner success for her brand, make no mistake in conflating her success outside of the Kardashian/ Jenner brand with being defined as self-made.

Self-made is one thing that Kylie is not! That says nothing about her dedication concerning her company and other endeavors, but it makes plain the fact that she had help on her stair climb to billionaire status. She was born into a family with money, and her potential trajectory for success was further cushioned by the platform that came with and the money machine that is the KUWTK franchise. Did she ask for that privilege (that doubles as a blessing and a curse)? No. Does that take anything away from the validity of her brand? Of course not. However, the fact of the matter is that her situation afforded her the familial financial backing and platform that undoubtedly contributed to her success with her brand.

The same would go for any celebrity child or any child born into a family with money and/ or status. The type of situation that includes money, access and status makes it easier to get a business started and off the ground. Even if one would fail, the fall isn’t as hard as it’d be for someone who doesn’t come from the same financial situation. For an entrepreneur who is making moves and making things happen on their own, they feel the effects of failure and missteps deeper than their wealth-supported counterpart would.

Nonetheless, congratulations are in order for Kylie and Kylie Cosmetics. The birth and success of a company is always a great and inspiring thing to witness.