Women On Top: Ten Self-Made Female Billionaires

Oprah Winfrey

Age: 58 Country: United States Worth: $2.7 Background: What is there to say about Oprah that hasn't been said before? Ms. Winfrey rose from an impoverished upbringing to become the Queen of Media. She is perhaps the most influential person alive, and has used her powers of persuasion to advocate for gay rights, reading, charity, and countless other causes.  But above all, she preaches self-help, and the power each person has to change his or her life for the better. So for all the dreamers taking notes from this list of grande dames, here's one last piece of Oprah wisdom:

For every one of us that succeeds, it's because there's somebody there to show you the way out.