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Is Kylie Jenner’s wealth really self-made?

Lucy Dean
Image: Getty, Twitter
Image: Getty, Twitter

Cosmetics and reality television queen Kylie Jenner has been named the world’s youngest self-made billionaire at just 21 years old by Forbes.

With US$1 billion (AU$1.42 billion) to her name, she’s also the wealthiest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan.

But while her eye-watering wealth isn’t in dispute, many commentators have noted that Jenner hasn’t exactly come from the average family.

Her mother, Kris Jenner pioneered the term “momager” – building the careers of Kylie’s sisters Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian and Kendall Jenner while taking a 10 per cent management fee.

Both her parents are worth millions, and being born into a highly-watched reality television also comes with certain marketing perks.

So is Kylie Jenner self-made?

Twitter is divided, but most think she isn’t.

What does Kylie say?

In an interview with Paper Magazine, Jenner defended her title, saying her parents cut her off at 15.

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“My parents told me I needed to make my own money, it’s time to learn how to save and spend your own money, stuff like that,” she said.

“What I’m trying to say is I did have a platform, but none of my money is inherited.

“The self-made thing is true.”

She also used $250,000 of her money earned modelling to fund the first 15,000 Kylie Jenner Lip Kits.

And that’s how Forbes defines self-made

“Forbes defines “self-made” as someone who built a company or established a fortune on her own, rather than inheriting some or all of it. As long as the list member didn’t inherit a business or money, she is labeled self-made,” Forbes journalist Kerry A. Dolan said.

But, she added, Forbes recognises that the person who builds their wealth from a disadvantaged upbringing is very different to a person with an in-built platform and multi-millionaire parents.

Forbes has a scoring system ranking the richest Americans on how self-made they were out of 10.

Someone who inherited all their money will only score a one, while someone like Oprah Winfrey who built an empire after growing up in hardship will score a 10.

“Kylie Jenner, who comes from a wealthy family and who has leveraged her fame to her advantage, ranks a seven,” Dolan said.

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