Successful Entrepreneurs Who Rise from Humble Beginnings

Not everyone came by their success easily. If you time traveled back, you might not have guessed at the potential of some of the men and women who top the corporate ladder. But their stories and their journeys are instructive for others who are looking to carve their own path, however nontraditional, up through corporate leadership.

Take John Paul DeJoria, of Paul Mitchell Systems hair care fame. Once upon a time, he sold things—from his car; today he’s worth over $3 billion.

Shahid Khan now owns the Jacksonville Jaguars as well as the company Flex-n-Gate—but years ago, he was just a dishwasher.

Ralph Lauren of fashion empire Polo? He left the Army and started as a clerk at Brooks Brothers.

There was little in Oprah Winfrey’s past—daughter of a single mother, living in the South, journalism school—that would predict her rise to worldwide fame.

Ready to get inspired? These stories are the place to start.