There is not a single corner of the world where the famous American TV presenter Oprah is not known. Over the years, Forbes magazine has named Oprah the most influential woman and celebrity. Over time, this list was supplemented by one of the richest women. As of 2013, she was worth USD 2.8 billion.
In fact, Oprah is the first African American female billionaire in the world. She owns media resources such as radio, a magazine, a personal TV channel and even a movie studio. It all started with childhood dreams and a desire to work on television. One day, Oprah’s life changed a lot, and we’ll tell you how. Read more about it on chicagoka.
The beginning of the journey
The girl began her long and rocky journey almost from the moment she was born, on January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi. The most interesting thing is that at first the girl’s name was Orpah. Yes, it’s not a mistake. The girl was named Orpah in honor of the biblical heroine. But for quite a long time the family could not pronounce the girl’s name correctly, so she became Oprah. Her birth was not a happy one for her mother, who was only 18 years old at the time. She had neither a stable job nor a diploma. Oprah’s father was a military officer. So the girl was left to be raised by her grandmother.
For a long time, her grandmother replaced her parents. It was thanks to her grandmother that Oprah learned to read and write at the age of 2.5. She started performing in public even earlier. She performed so nicely on Easter at church that she was even called a little preacher.
Despite all the care her grandmother took, she raised the girl quite strictly. For bad behavior, Oprah was beaten with a rod. Still she did not resent her grandmother, because life with her was quiet and peaceful, unlike what awaited the girl later. At 6, her mother took the girl to live with her in Milwaukee.
The girl planned to continue her performances at gatherings and poetry competitions. But it didn’t make sense, especially if one lives in the ghetto.
Later, life threw Oprah quite a challenge. Rape, drugs and suicide attempts. Yet she overcame this dark period. At 13, the girl stole money from her mother and ran away to her father.
It was here that she started a new life after all the horrors that had befallen her. Her father had great faith in his daughter and always emphasized that she was better than she thought and would definitely be even better. They even started their own tradition of going to the library together. The girl’s father came up with a new task, Oprah had to learn five new words every day.
Television. The beginning
When the girl recovered from all the trials that had fallen on her life, she set herself the goal of getting on TV at all costs. Her dream seemed crazy to many, especially given the attitude towards African Americans at the time. But the girl did not give up. At the age of 19, she became an assistant news anchor at CBS. Interestingly, she was the first African American woman to hold such a position. It was already a huge success. At 22, Oprah started working as a commentator on the ABC show in Baltimore.
Her colleagues envied her and were constantly trying to ruin her life. They kept telling the producers that the news was not for Oprah, that such a woman should not work on a rated program. The producers succumbed to these provocations and transferred Oprah to the lowest rated morning program. Then something amazing happened. Within a month of Oprah’s work on this show, it soared in the ratings. The young talented girl was noticed by the ABC department in Chicago. They offered Oprah to repeat the success and save the morning show in Chicago. Within a month, it became one of the most popular shows in the city. In 1986, the AM Chicago program began airing in a new format and with a new name. It became The Oprah Winfrey Show.
The legendary Oprah show
The updated program’s format quickly caught on with many people not only in the United States but also in 64 other countries. Since the program’s inception, Oprah has become the richest and most influential woman in America. She has created many useful foundations to help families and children. The woman is constantly involved in charity events. Even as part of the TV program, she has been trying to help those in need. The presenter worked tirelessly, almost without rest. She didn’t waste time on relaxation and fame, but rather tried to create something significant. That’s how she bought a movie studio in Chicago in 1988 for USD 20 million. She created a multimedia company in which 70 percent of the staff were women.
The Oprah Show was called a TV phenomenon because it was one of the highest-rated shows in the world. Every week 42 million people around the world watched it. The show was made so popular by Oprah herself, who always gave hope, love and kindness to everyone who needed it. In her program, the woman raised those important and critical issues that others were afraid to talk about.
Oprah has also always been generous, giving gifts to her viewers, helping them realize their most cherished dreams, sparing no expense.
In 2007, the woman donated USD 40 million to build a school for girls in South Africa. She raised money to open 60 more schools around the world.
Why did the audience love the Oprah Show so much?
Many TV critics, producers, and ordinary people have wondered how Oprah’s show has remained on the wave of fame for 25 years.
The main secret was that there were no taboo topics for Oprah. Never. A very diverse audience came to her studio, including politicians, actors, musicians, neo-Nazis, porn actors, etc. Each episode of the show was a small celebration. The host knew how to organize it for her guests. For example, quite often the TV presenter did specials called Oprah’s Favorite Things. On one of these programs, she gave all the viewers in the studio (and there were over 300 of them) a car. The viewers who were at the last episode of the show received vacation packages to Australia.
Another bright section of the show was the Daring Greatly section. In it, the presenter helped ordinary people and their families get what they dreamed of. It could be a house for the whole family, a car, a job on TV, a meeting with an idol, money for medical treatment, or help with adoption.
Oprah’s show was loved not only for the opportunity to receive a gift, but everyone in the studio seemed to take off their masks. She had a special talent for getting her interlocutor to have a frank conversation. In her studio the rich and famous confessed their weaknesses, addictions, problems, etc. It was here in 2005 that Tom Cruise, without holding back his emotions, jumped on the couch and told the whole world about his incredibly strong feelings for Katie Holmes.
Interestingly, the so-called “Oprah effect” even appeared on American television. She was so popular that viewers trusted her in everything from choosing shoes to electing the country’s president. The final episode of the show was aired on May 25, 2011. She received a standing ovation from 13,000 viewers. The most influential and famous guests came to the final episode.
The woman has focused on other areas and her company’s development. She also constantly emphasizes that one can’t stand still, one must keep moving to achieve success.
Oprah explains her uniqueness by the fact that she is a simple woman like millions of others. She has the same problems as they do, does not conquer runways and is not afraid to talk about what worries her.