12 Famous People Who Grew Up Rich, And 12 Who Are Actually Self-Made

1.Self-Made: Hilary Swank

Hilary smiling on the red carpet in a strapless outfit
Steve Granitz / WireImage / Getty Images

The actor grew up in a trailer park in Washington State. She told Together magazine, "I had a roof over my head and I had food, and so it wasn’t that being poor and having those experiences was a negative. The negative part of it was learning about class at such a young age, not from my friends, but from my friend’s parents, who would say, 'You aren’t to hang out with her.' At 6 years old, to have a parent say, 'You’re not welcome in our home, you need to go.'"

Close-up of Hilary in a crew-neck sweater
Pier Marco Tacca / Getty Images

2.Grew Up Rich: Cara Delevingne

Cara in a fishnet top
Dominique Charriau / WireImage / Getty Images

The English model's family is full of titles, powerful connections, and even ties to the royal family. On her mom’s side, her grandmother was a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, and her grandfather was a knighted publishing mogul. On her dad’s side, her grandmother was an aristocrat, and her grandfather was a stockbroker and a friend of the then–Prince of Wales. Her father was a property developer, and her godmother is English actor Dame Joan Collins.

Cara walking down steps arm in arm with an older. man
Alex Davies / GC Images / Getty Images

3.Self-Made: Nicki Minaj

Close-up of Nicki with long hair
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

The rapper's family moved from Trinidad to New York when she was 5 years old. During an interview with Rolling Stone, Nicki said, "I would go in my room and kneel down at the foot of my bed and pray that God would make me rich so that I could take care of my mother." In an MTV documentary, she recalled that her mother would sometimes rent out their home to make ends meet, so she and her family would live in the basement.

Nicki standing next to her mother
Jason Laveris / FilmMagic / Getty Images

4.Grew Up Rich: Bradley Cooper

Bradley smiling in a suit and tie
Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images

The A Star Is Born actor's father was a stockbroker for Merrill Lynch, and his mother worked for NBC. Bradley attended Germantown Academy, an elite school that prepares students for Ivy League colleges.

Bradley in a bow tie smiling on the red carpet
Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic / Getty Images

5.Self-Made: Leighton Meester

Leighton smiling in a square-neck top
Michael Kovac / Getty Images for Lionsgate

The Gossip Girl actor was born while her mother was serving federal time for drug trafficking, and lived with her grandmother until her mom was released. When Leighton began taking acting classes as a teen, she preferred the ones with adults because she couldn't relate to her peers. "'Jimmy doesn't like me!' Who cares? I was worried we didn't have gas money or food. Those were my concerns," she told Marie Claire during an interview.

Leighton smiling on the red carpet wearing a satiny blouse
Tommaso Boddi / WireImage / Getty Images

6.Grew Up Rich: Emma Stone

Emma smiling on the red carpet
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

The La La Land actor's father was the president and CEO of a commercial construction company. He's led companies that bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue annually, and he still works in the construction industry to this day.

Emma standing with her father on the red carpet
Gregg Deguire / WireImage / Getty Images

7.Self-Made: Sarah Jessica Parker

Sara smiling in a houndstooth jacket and button shirt
Michael Loccisano / Getty Images

The Sex and the City actor was one of eight children, and her family could only get by on welfare. During an interview with the New York Times, she said, "I remember being poor. There was no great way to hide it. We didn't have electricity sometimes. We didn't have Christmases sometimes, or we didn't have birthdays sometimes, or the bill collectors came, or the phone company would call and say, 'We're shutting your phones off.'"

Sarah smiling and wearing a low-cut, colorful top
Francois G. Durand / WireImage / Getty Images

8.Grew Up Rich: Jonah Hill and Beanie Feldstein

Jonah and Beanie smiling together
Todd Williamson / Getty Images

The siblings' mother was a fashion stylist and costume designer, and their father was an accountant for the iconic rock band Guns N' Roses. Though they lived in LA, the family would vacation in the Catskills.

Jonah and Beanie smile and point at each other
Kevin Winter / Getty Images

9.Self-Made: Selena Gomez

Selena in an updo with tendrils and wearing a strapless outfit smiles on the red carpet
Tibrina Hobson / Getty Images

The "Lose You to Love Me" singer's mother had her at 16 years old. Selena's parents divorced five years later, and she was raised by her mother in Texas. In a 2011 E! special, the actor said, "I remember my mom would run out of gas all of the time, and we'd sit there and have to go through the car and get quarters and help her get gas."

Smiling Selena, wearing a strapless outfit, hugs her smiling mother
Leon Bennett / WireImage / Getty Images

10.Grew Up Rich: Anderson Cooper

Anderson looks serious on the red carpet
Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images

The broadcast journalist is the great-great-great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, who made a fortune in shipping and railroads and was one of the richest Americans in history. His mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, was a fashion designer, actor, and writer.

Close-up of Anderson, wearing glasses and a suit and tie
J. Countess / Getty Images

11.Self-Made: Oprah Winfrey

  Vera Anderson / WireImage / Getty Images
Vera Anderson / WireImage / Getty Images

In rural Mississippi, the talk show host grew up in abject poverty. Her home had no running water, and she sometimes wore overalls made from potato sacks.

Close-up of Oprah smiling
Jeff Vespa / WireImage / Getty Images

12.Grew Up Rich: Ariana Grande

Ariana in a long ponytail and strapless ballerina dress with long gloves
Steve Granitz / WireImage / Getty Images

The "Thank U, Next" singer's mother was the CEO of a communications company, and her father founded a graphic design firm. Her parents' wealth gave her early exposure; she sang the national anthem at a Florida Panthers home game where her parents were reportedly seasonal ticket holders.

Ariana in a long tiered strapless gown hugs her parents on the red carpet
Steve Granitz / WireImage / Getty Images

13.Self-Made: Kelly Clarkson

Smiling Kelly
Jared Siskin / Getty Images for Warner Music Group

"We lived prepay check to prepay check," she told the Dallas Morning News. "I was like, whatever I'm gonna do, I just don't wanna have to worry [like] that. I always used to hate when people would be like, 'Money doesn't buy everything,' when you are little and poor. Rich people say that, not poor people. I don't know one poor person that's going, 'Money doesn't buy happiness.' It pays you to get out of eviction notices."

Kelly looking sideways at the camera
NBC / NBCU Photo Bank / NBCUniversal via Getty Images

14.Grew Up Rich: Sigourney Weaver

Sigourney smiling on the red carpet
Anthony Harvey / Getty Images

The Alien actor's father was a TV executive who created NBC's Today show and worked as the president of NBC for several years. Her mother was an English actor.

Sigourney in a sparkly jacket and smiling
Rich Fury / Getty Images for Vanity Fair

15.Self-Made: Justin Bieber

Just looks at the camera while touching his chin
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Met Museum/Vogue

The "Peaches" singer was raised by a single mother. During an interview with Clique TV, he recalled, "My mom would always make me order water at restaurants. I could never get a soft drink. Those are, like, little things that, when you’re a kid, they matter. You get disappointed, like, 'I just wanted a soda, Mom.'"

Justin kissing his mother on the red carpet
Jason Kempin / Getty Images

16.Grew Up Rich: Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth wearing a ruffle-collar top and smiling
Theo Wargo / WireImage / Getty Images

The Shakespeare in Love actor's father was a TV and movie director and producer, and her mother is actor Blythe Danner. Growing up, Gwyneth attended Crossroads School in Santa Monica — known for its celebrity alumni — and the Spence School, an all-girls private school in Manhattan. Her godfather is director Steven Spielberg.

Gwyneth wearing a strapless top and necklace
Manny Carabel / WireImage / Getty Images

17.Self-Made: Tyler Perry

Tyler smiling and sitting down
Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images

In New Orleans, the actor grew up in a poverty-stricken and abusive home. He poured all the money he made into his first play and lived in his car for months while he worked on the production.

Tyler smiling and wearing a hat and suede jacket
Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images

18.Grew Up Rich: Salma Hayek

Salma in a bejeweled, sleeveless top
Stephane Cardinale — Corbis / Corbis via Getty Images

The Frida actor's father was an oil company executive in Mexico, while her mother was an opera singer and talent scout. Her parents reportedly gave her three tigers while she was growing up.

A smiling Salma seated and wearing a long-sleeved lacy dress
Stefania M. D'alessandro / Getty Images

19.Self-Made: Dolly Parton

A headshot of Dolly smiling
David Becker / Getty Images

As one of 12 children, the "Jolene" singer grew up in a tin-roofed shack with no electricity and no running water in the mountains of Tennessee. Her parents paid the doctor who delivered her with a sack of cornmeal.

A smiling Dolly holds a guitar
Valerie Macon / Getty Images

20.Grew Up Rich: Rashida Jones

Rashida smiling and wearing a light-colored jacket and sequined top
George Pimentel / Getty Images

The Parks and Recreation actor's father, Quincy Jones, is a music producer and composer. He has received a whopping 80 Grammy Award nominations and been called one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century.

Rashida and Quincy stand together smiling
Kevin Mazur / WireImage / Getty Images

21.Self-Made: Céline Dion

Céline wearing a turtleneck and smiling
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

As the youngest of 14 siblings, the singer grew up in a working-class home in Quebec. "We were three, four in the same bed," she told CBS News. "I did not have a bedroom. Up the stairs, before going in the bedrooms, there was a little ramp. And my bed was there. So everybody went up, they saw me, and I could wave goodbye and good night."

Céline standing with her hands clasped in front of her
Kevin Winter / Getty Images

22.Grew Up Rich: Darren Criss

Headshot of Darren smiling
Phillip Faraone / Getty Images

The Glee actor's father was an investment banker who worked at big banks like HSBC, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Deutsche. He even started EastWest Bank, where he was chair and CEO. He was also a supporter of the arts and served as director of the San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Performances, the Stern Grove Festival, and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra.

Headshot of Darren wearing a shiny jacket
Morgan Lieberman / FilmMagic / Getty Images

23.Self-Made: Sean "Diddy" Combs

Sean smiling and wearing a bow tie
Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images

The music mogul was born in Harlem. When he was 3 years old, his father was shot to death. In an interview with CNN Business, Diddy recalled, "One day, I asked my mother for a pair of sneakers, and she almost started to cry. My hustle was born. I never wanted to see her face like that again."

Diddy on the red carpet kissing his mother
Tibrina Hobson / Getty Images

24.Self-Made: the Kardashian-Jenner Clan

Khloé, Kendall, Kourtney, Kim, and Kylie stand together
Kevin Mazur / Getty Images

Just kidding! Despite Kim's recent advice that women in business should work harder, and the infamous Forbes article claiming Kylie was the youngest self-made billionaire, the Kardashian-Jenner siblings obviously grew up rich.

Kim and Kylie stand together wearing tight dresses
Taylor Hill / FilmMagic / Getty Images

Robert Kardashian gained worldwide recognition as O.J. Simpson's lawyer and later found success in business. Kris Jenner runs the show behind the scenes for the Kardashian-Jenner siblings and actually trademarked the word "momager." After Caitlyn Jenner's wins at the Olympics, she became the spokesperson for multiple brands, enjoyed a career in TV and movies, and became a businessperson. As a result, the Kardashian-Jenner brood were raised in affluent neighborhoods of LA and made early connections with celebrities and their children.

Kris, Kendall, Kylie, and Kim stand together
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for the Business of Fashion

Any other celebs who grew up wealthy or were actually self-made? Let us know in the comments below!