Oprah Winfrey: Producer, Actress, Author, and Philanthropist

Among Oprah Winfrey’s many accomplishments, she was also the first black female billionaire. This achievement is in no small part due to the success of her eponymous talk show that aired for 25 years, and for her starring roles in several famous Hollywood films. “The Oprah Winfrey Show” avoided excessive drama with tabloid issues, focusing instead on person-to-person interviews. One of the show’s primary themes was people helping one another.

Winfrey carried this philosophy into everyday life, becoming a charitable philanthropist. Oprah’s Angel Network has not only raised millions for various charities, but has also served impoverished areas by building schools, providing school supplies, and rebuilding or restoring homes destroyed by natural disasters.