3 ms·

"Rowling has lived a "rags to riches" life story, in which she progressed from living on state benefits to being the world's first billionaire author." https:/

"Rowling has lived a "rags to riches" life story, in which she progressed from living on state benefits to being the world's first billionaire author." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._K._Rowling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._K._Rowling Oprah's another: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey

michaelbrave 7y ago
those are examples of government safety net though no?
- skookumchuck 7y ago
  Both answer the parent's "name one" challenge question. I named two :-)
kragen 7y ago
Both Rowling nor Winfrey took routes to financial success that are more open to poor people than starting a startup is, but it's true that in 1998, 23 years into her career, when Winfrey was already world-famous, she co-founded Oxygen Media, which was eventually acquired by NBC for almost an Instagram. So I don't think that fulfills the stated goal of "a startup that exited successfully(IPO or Acquisition) by now and that the founder(s) were living below poverty line or on social welfare".
InitialLastName 7y ago
Neither of them "founded a start-up" while living below the poverty line. Rowling wrote a book in her spare time that eventually got popular. She wasn't putting any money or asking of anyone else's money to fund her book. Oprah followed the more usual path of "get a job, get promoted, rinse repeat" until she was a household name before she started her own company. Per the article you yourself linked, she was co-anchoring the local evening news at 19. That isn't the same thing as taking a risk on a start-up.
- skookumchuck 7y ago
  Writing a book while on welfare is certainly a startup. She didn't self-publish the book. The publisher provided the funding to edit, print, market, and distribute the book (which is not trivial money). Rowling pitched the book to several publishers before one decided to fund it. Oprah bootstrapped herself out of poverty to become a media billionaire. You might say she took the long way by routing through various jobs to get the money, but she still came from poverty, founded companies, and became a billionaire.

michaelbrave 7y ago

those are examples of government safety net though no?

skookumchuck 7y ago
Both answer the parent's "name one" challenge question. I named two :-)

kragen 7y ago

Both Rowling nor Winfrey took routes to financial success that are more open to poor people than starting a startup is, but it's true that in 1998, 23 years into her career, when Winfrey was already world-famous, she co-founded Oxygen Media, which was eventually acquired by NBC for almost an Instagram. So I don't think that fulfills the stated goal of "a startup that exited successfully(IPO or Acquisition) by now and that the founder(s) were living below poverty line or on social welfare".

InitialLastName 7y ago

Neither of them "founded a start-up" while living below the poverty line. Rowling wrote a book in her spare time that eventually got popular. She wasn't putting any money or asking of anyone else's money to fund her book. Oprah followed the more usual path of "get a job, get promoted, rinse repeat" until she was a household name before she started her own company. Per the article you yourself linked, she was co-anchoring the local evening news at 19. That isn't the same thing as taking a risk on a start-up.

skookumchuck 7y ago
Writing a book while on welfare is certainly a startup. She didn't self-publish the book. The publisher provided the funding to edit, print, market, and distribute the book (which is not trivial money). Rowling pitched the book to several publishers before one decided to fund it. Oprah bootstrapped herself out of poverty to become a media billionaire. You might say she took the long way by routing through various jobs to get the money, but she still came from poverty, founded companies, and became a billionaire.