36. Oprah Winfrey

Title: CEO, OWN

Country: US

Age: 61

Worth nearly $3 billion, Oprah Winfrey is the only black female billionaire in the US. Despite a traumatic upbringing of living in poverty and enduring years of physical and sexual abuse, Winfrey became one of the most successful and beloved media personalities of the 21st century.

Winfrey is the founder of the award-winning production studio Harpo Productions — responsible for the 2014 critical darling "Selma" — and the Oprah Winfrey Network. She also owns the "The Oprah Winfrey Show," which brought in $300 million a year at its peak. She's a top cultural influencer, particularly among women, with a book club that is followed with cult-like dedication and an annual "favorite things" gift guide. Recently, she also extended the "Oprah effect" to the weight-loss industry when she bought a 10% stake in Weight Watchers in October and caused the stock to jump 105% as a result.