“Life isn’t fair—so what? It doesn’t need to be. What matters is how hard you’re willing to work. These success stories aren’t traditional, and that’s exactly the point. If you’re non-traditional too, let this be proof: it’s not only possible—it’s powerful. Teach this to your kids not they are oppressed.”
Now let me spin you a yarn about the new breed of American legends — not the rail-splitting, log-cabin kind, but the ones born in neighborhoods where hope was something you had to squint hard to see. These folks didn’t start with silver spoons or golden handshakes. Nah, they were handed grit, ramen noodles, and a dream scribbled on the back of a receipt. They rose not because the world made it easy — but because they decided to rise anyway.
In a country that talks a big game about opportunity, these individuals *played* the game with busted shoes and no rulebook. Minorities, underdogs, outsiders — call ’em what you like — they made their own map, lit their own lamp, and struck their own gold in a digital gold rush. Whether coding in closets, singing from street corners, or hustling fashion from car trunks, they remind us: in America, even the mud has roots that reach for the stars.
So what’s the moral of this tale? It ain’t about luck, and it sure as hell ain’t about comfort. It’s about lighting a fire when the world hands you ashes. It’s about believing in yourself when nobody else even bothers to look your way. These modern-day giants didn’t wait for permission. They kicked down doors, built new ones, and left the old world scratching its head.
We measure wealth in billions now, not acres or cattle — but the richest thing they carry is still the story. A story of defiance, ambition, and turning “not enough” into more than anyone ever expected. And if that don’t stir something in your bones, well, you might just be asleep at the wheel of your own story.
Now go on. The next great American legend? Might just be reading this right now or playing in your backyard.
1. Lucy Guo (Tech)
Lucy Guo, a 30-year-old entrepreneur and co-founder of Scale AI, has become the world’s youngest self-made woman billionaire, surpassing Taylor Swift . Born in 1994, Guo was raised in Fremont, California, by Chinese immigrant parents who were electrical engineers. She began coding at a young age, teaching herself programming and earning money by developing bots for the online game Neopets. Guo enrolled at Carnegie Mellon University to study computer science but dropped out in 2014 after being selected for the Thiel Fellowship, a two-year $100,000 grant for young people to pursue entrepreneurial projects instead of completing their studies .
After leaving Carnegie Mellon, Guo interned at Facebook and later joined Snapchat as the company’s first female designer, where she helped develop Snap Maps. She then moved to Quora, where she met Alexandr Wang, and together they co-founded Scale AI in 2016. However, she was fired from the company in 2018 .
In 2022, Guo founded Passes, an OnlyFans competitor, leveraging connections from parties she attended. The platform raised a $40 million Series A in 2024 . Despite its success, Passes faced controversy in 2024 when it was reported to have allowed an account featuring a 12-year-old selling bikini photos. The account was removed only after the New York Times requested comment
Guo’s estimated net worth reached $1.25 billion as of April 17, 2025, according to Forbes . She attributes her financial success to following the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement, emphasizing aggressive saving, investing, and frugal living to achieve early financial freedom .
Here’s a list of notable minority individuals in the U.S. who started out with humble or poor beginnings and have become wealthy in the last 10 years (2015–2025). These individuals have achieved success across tech, entertainment, finance, and entrepreneurship:1. Lucy Guo (Tech / AI)
- Background: Daughter of Chinese immigrants; grew up in a modest household in California.
- Achievement: Co-founded Scale AI and later launched Passes. Became the world’s youngest self-made woman billionaire in 2025.
2. Rihanna (Entertainment / Fashion)
- Background: Born in Barbados; grew up in a small bungalow and worked early jobs to help support her family.
- Achievement: Built a fortune through music and her cosmetics line, Fenty Beauty, becoming a billionaire in the 2020s.
3. Jay-Z (Music / Business)
- Background: Grew up in Marcy Projects in Brooklyn, raised by a single mother.
- Achievement: Transitioned from rapper to billionaire businessman through Roc Nation, Armand de Brignac champagne, and Tidal.
4. Tyler Perry (Film / Media)
- Background: Grew up in poverty in New Orleans; faced abuse and homelessness.
- Achievement: Built a media empire with Madea films and Tyler Perry Studios. Became a billionaire in 2020.
5. Dave (David Orobosa Omoregie) [UK-born but popular in U.S.]
- Background: Born to Nigerian immigrants in London; faced poverty and discrimination.
- Achievement: Gained wealth and fame through music, acting, and brand partnerships. Seen as a global voice in culture and activism.
6. Priscilla Chan (Philanthropy / Tech)
- Background: Daughter of Chinese-Vietnamese refugees; worked hard to pursue education.
- Achievement: Married to Mark Zuckerberg, but has her own independent wealth and massive philanthropic efforts via the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
7. Bozoma Saint John (Business Exec / Marketing)
- Background: Ghanaian immigrant; faced numerous hardships growing up.
- Achievement: Became a top marketing executive at companies like Apple, Uber, and Netflix. Built a powerful personal brand and net worth in the millions.
8. Daymond John (Fashion / Shark Tank)
- Background: Grew up in Queens, raised by a single mother.
- Achievement: Founded FUBU from scratch and became a wealthy investor and TV personality on Shark Tank.
9. Nipsey Hussle (Entrepreneur / Musician) – posthumous
- Background: Grew up in South Central LA; involved in gang activity as a teen.
- Achievement: Turned his life around and built real estate ventures and a tech-centered business district before his death in 2019.
10. Rosalind Brewer (Business Executive)
- Background: Grew up in a working-class African American family in Detroit.
- Achievement: Rose to become CEO of Walgreens and one of the most powerful Black women in corporate America.
They all got here by different methods, love them or hate them, they made it.
| Name | Age (2025) | Net Worth (2025) | Wealth at Age 25 | Primary Source of Wealth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucy Guo | 30 | ~$1.25 billion | <$100,000 | Co-founder of Scale AI; tech investments |
| Rihanna | 37 | ~$1.4 billion | ~$20 million | Fenty Beauty, Savage X Fenty, music |
| Jay-Z | 55 | ~$2.5 billion | ~$1 million | Music, Roc Nation, Armand de Brignac, D’Ussé |
| Tyler Perry | 55 | ~$1.4 billion | ~$0 | Tyler Perry Studios, BET+, real estate |
| Dave (Santan Dave) | 27 | ~$3.3 million | ~$1 million | Music, acting, brand partnerships |
| Priscilla Chan | 40 | ~$30 billion | ~$0 | Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, philanthropy |
| Bozoma Saint John | 48 | ~$30 million | ~$0 | Marketing executive roles at Apple, Uber, Netflix |
| Daymond John | 56 | ~$350 million | ~$0 | Founder of FUBU, investor on Shark Tank |
| Nipsey Hussle | — | ~$8 million (2019) | ~$0 | Music, real estate, Marathon Clothing |
| Rosalind Brewer | 62 | ~$41–$71 million | ~$0 | Executive roles at Starbucks, Sam’s Club, Walgreens |
Notes:
- Ages and net worth figures are as of 2025.
- “Wealth at Age 25” is estimated based on available information.
- Nipsey Hussle passed away in 2019; his net worth is noted at that time.
EXTRA CREDIT
© 2025 insearchofyourpassions.com - Some Rights Reserve - This website and its content are the property of YNOT. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You are free to share and adapt the material for any purpose, even commercially, as long as you give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
0
