12 Photos of Millionaires Before They Were Rich
It’s hard to imagine millionaires and billionaires like Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk before they were sipping piña coladas on their private jets, partying on their yachts, and living it up on their sprawling estates. But a peek at their “before they were rich” photos is a real eye-opener. From Mark Zuckerberg’s awkward college dorm pics (geek alert!) to Oprah Winfrey’s humble beginnings as she tried to break into Hollywood, these photos of millionaires are proof that even the ultra-rich once lived like the rest of us — without the yachts, designer suits, and massive fortunes.
While their glow-ups are impressive, they also serve as a reminder of the worsening wealth inequality that plagues many. After all, it’s a lot easier to “dream big” when you’re one of the few who actually made it to the top of the pyramid.
1. Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg at his Harvard Dorm (2004)
Back when Zuckerberg’s startup budget couldn’t even cover a laptop that closed properly. How times have changed.
2. PayPal co-founders Peter Thiel and Elon Musk (2007)
Back when their biggest innovation was convincing people to send and receive money on the internet. Now they’re figuring out how to colonize Mars and disrupt … well, everything else.
3. Oprah Winfrey on the set of ‘There Are No Children Here’ (1993)
Before becoming the world’s most famous TV host, Winfrey was an up-and-coming actress looking for her big break.
4. Jeff Bezos working out of his ‘home office’ in Seattle, WA (1997)
Ah, the good ol’ days when Amazon was just a scrappy online bookstore.
5. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates (1983)
Who knew this sweater would one day become the rubric for dressing the 1%?
6. Businessman and investor Warren Buffet in Omaha, Nebraska (1984)
So, it appears that this man has always been old. At least he has some solid money advice?
7. Richard Branson at a pub in London, England (1984)
Imagine hitting the local pub for some pints just to find Sir Richard Branson manning the bar.
8. Serena and Venus Williams at practice in Compton, CA (1991)
Before dominating the world’s biggest tennis stages, Venus and Serena Williams were just two kids from Compton with big dreams and even bigger smiles.
9. Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin (blue shirt) at their Stanford University dorm (1995)
Little did they know their college project would eventually control everything we search, watch, and click.
10. A young Mark Cuban (left, back) pictured with other executives at Yahoo! headquarters in Santa Clara, CA (1999)
Because in the ’90s, showing off the startup you built with your buddies was the ultimate mic drop.
11. Steve Ballmer at the Microsoft Office 2000 launch in San Francisco, CA (1999)
Ballmer out here proving that even billionaires can get excited about boxed software, because nothing says “early 2000s tech” like Microsoft Office on a CD.
12. Bloomberg founder Michael Bloomberg at an indoor rock climbing gym (1997)
Before running for president and becoming one of the world’s richest people, the former mayor of New York City climbed his way to the top — both literally and figuratively.