Oprah Winfrey
Born 1954 · Age 71
American talk show host, producer, actress, author, philanthropist, and media proprietor; best known for The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986–2011) and for founding Harpo Productions and the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
Compare Your Trajectory
See how your career milestones stack up against Oprah Winfrey and other industry leaders.
Life & Career Timeline
Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi
Oprah Gail Winfrey born (birth name spelled Orpah on certificate) to Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey in rural Mississippi.
Moved to Milwaukee to live with her mother
At age six Winfrey moved from her grandmother's farm in Kosciusko to inner-city Milwaukee where her mother worked as a maid.
Temporarily sent to live with her father Vernon in Nashville
Winfrey was sent to live with Vernon Winfrey in Nashville as her mother had difficulties raising the children.
Ran away from home
After years of abuse and family turmoil, Winfrey ran away from home at about age 13.
Became pregnant; infant son died
At 14 Winfrey became pregnant; her son was born prematurely and died in infancy.
Won Miss Black Tennessee and began radio work at WVOL
Won the Miss Black Tennessee pageant and was hired part-time by Nashville radio station WVOL as a newsreader during senior year of high school.
Awarded full scholarship to Tennessee State University
Won an oratory contest that secured a full scholarship to Tennessee State University to study communication/speech.
Youngest (and first Black female) news anchor at WLAC-TV (Nashville)
Early television job in Nashville as a news anchor (WLAC-TV/WTVF); became one of the youngest and first Black female anchors at the station.
Moved to Baltimore to co-anchor for WJZ-TV
Hired at Baltimore's WJZ-TV to co-anchor the six o'clock news and later co-host the local talk show People Are Talking.
Removed as WJZ co-anchor; transitioned toward talk-show hosting
Was removed from evening co-anchor duties and moved into lower-profile roles, opening path to daytime/talk formats.
People Are Talking premieres (co-host)
Co-hosted Baltimore local talk show People Are Talking alongside Richard Sher (premiered Aug 14, 1978).
Took over AM Chicago (WLS-TV) — first Chicago role
Relocated to Chicago to host the low-rated half-hour morning talk show AM Chicago; first episode with Winfrey aired Jan 2, 1984.
Starred in film The Color Purple (released)
Co-starred as Sofia in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple; role raised national profile and led to major awards nominations.
Founded Harpo Productions
Launched Harpo Productions (Oprah spelled backward), her production company to own and produce her programs and projects.
The Oprah Winfrey Show syndicated nationally
AM Chicago renamed and expanded to The Oprah Winfrey Show; first nationwide broadcast on Sep 8, 1986; show later ran for 25 years.
Earned college degree from Tennessee State University
Completed remaining requirements and officially received her degree (delivered final paper after becoming TV personality).
The Oprah Winfrey Show wins multiple Daytime Emmys (first eligibility year)
In its first year of eligibility, the show received multiple Daytime Emmy Awards (including Outstanding Host and Outstanding Talk/Service Program).
Harpo acquires ownership/production rights from Capital Cities/ABC
Harpo Productions acquired ownership and production for The Oprah Winfrey Show, making Winfrey the first woman to own and produce her own talk show.
Michael Jackson prime-time interview
Hosted Michael Jackson in a rare primetime interview ('Michael Jackson Talks ... to Oprah'); widely watched event (reported audiences vary: 36.5M to 100M).
National Child Protection Act ("Oprah's Bill") enacted
Winfrey campaigned for a national registry of convicted child abusers; President Clinton signed the law establishing the database (often linked to Winfrey's advocacy).
Inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame
Named an inductee into the National Women's Hall of Fame in recognition of her cultural and philanthropic work.
Completed the Marine Corps Marathon
Finished the Marine Corps Marathon in under four and a half hours (demonstrated personal fitness milestone amid public weight-loss narrative).
Launched Oprah's Book Club
Started the on-air book club segment that propelled chosen books to bestseller lists and changed the publishing landscape.
Launched Oprah's Angel Network
Started Oprah's Angel Network to support philanthropic initiatives globally; the network raised >$80M and distributed final grants in 2010.
Co-founded Oxygen Media (women's cable network)
Helped found Oxygen Media, a cable network targeted at women; later sold/changed stake over time.
Defamation suit by Texas cattlemen rejected
Jurors rejected a multimillion-dollar defamation suit brought by Texas cattlemen over Oprah's mad-cow show segment.
Film 'Beloved' released; major box-office loss
Produced and starred in Beloved (1998); despite heavy promotion, the film performed poorly, losing approx. $30 million.
Received National Book Foundation Gold Medal (50th anniversary honor)
Recognized by the National Book Foundation for contributions to books and authors (book club impact) with a gold medal.
Launched O, The Oprah Magazine
Debuted the monthly lifestyle magazine 'O, The Oprah Magazine' which became an exceptionally successful media start-up.
Received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award
Named the first recipient of the Academy's Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the Emmy Awards for philanthropic work.
Groundbreaking for Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (South Africa)
Broke ground with Nelson Mandela on the Leadership Academy near Johannesburg; significant philanthropic education project.
Named first Black female billionaire by Forbes
Forbes listed Winfrey as the world's first Black female billionaire (first appearance on Forbes billionaires list).
Produced 'Their Eyes Were Watching God' (Harpo) and Broadway 'The Color Purple' (producer)
Harpo Films released a TV adaptation of Hurston's novel; Winfrey produced the Broadway musical version of The Color Purple.
Opened Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls
Leadership Academy for Girls opened in 2007 in South Africa, built with philanthropy including Winfrey's ~$40M gift.
Became influential political endorser (Barack Obama)
Endorsed Barack Obama (2007–2008), campaigned for him in primaries; endorsement estimated to be worth ~1,000,000 votes in Democratic primaries.
Announced partnership with Discovery to create OWN
Announced plan with Discovery Communications to transform Discovery Health Channel into the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
Named a Kennedy Center Honoree
Received recognition at the Kennedy Center Honors for contributions to American culture and the arts (2010).
Received Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (Academy special Oscar statuette)
Honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for philanthropic work.
Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) launched
OWN launched on Jan 1, 2011 as a joint venture with Discovery Communications replacing Discovery Health Channel.
Final episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show aired
The nationally syndicated talk show concluded after 25 years and over 5,000 episodes; final broadcast on May 25, 2011.
Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
President Barack Obama awarded Oprah Winfrey the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her cultural, philanthropic, and media contributions.
Announced Harpo Studios closing and consolidation to OWN (transition)
Announced closure of Chicago-based Harpo Studios to consolidate production operations to Los Angeles and to OWN.
Bought 10% stake in WeightWatchers; joined as advisor/board member
Acquired around a 10% stake in WeightWatchers, took an advisory/board role and became a public spokesperson for the company.
Became special contributor to 60 Minutes
CBS announced in Jan 2017 that Winfrey would join 60 Minutes as a special contributor starting in September 2017.
Discovery bought 24.5% of OWN from Winfrey for $70M
Discovery purchased 24.5% of OWN for $70 million; Winfrey retained 25.5% and remained CEO/chair under the new ownership structure.
Apple multi-year content deal — subsequent shows produced
Under the Apple partnership Winfrey produced multiple series including Oprah's Book Club (2019), Oprah Talks COVID-19 (2020), and The Oprah Conversation (2020).
Signed multi-year content partnership with Apple
Apple announced a deal with Winfrey for original programs exclusive to Apple TV+ and other platform content.
Received Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award
Awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement at the Golden Globes; delivered noted speech on equality and justice.
Donated $500,000 to March for Our Lives
Announced in Feb 2018 a donation of $500,000 to the March for Our Lives movement following the Parkland school shooting.
Apple TV+ 'Oprah's Book Club' premiere
First show under the Apple partnership — Oprah's Book Club — premiered on Apple TV+ on Nov 1, 2019 (revival of TV segment).
Sold additional OWN stake to Discovery (approx. 20.5%)
Sold another portion (reported ~20.5%) of her OWN stake to Discovery in Dec 2020 as part of partnership adjustments.
Oprah Talks COVID-19 debuts on Apple TV+
Debuted a topical series on Apple TV+ during the COVID-19 pandemic focused on health and responses to the crisis.
O, The Oprah Magazine ends regular monthly print publication
Announced the December 2020 issue would be O magazine's final monthly print edition; brand transitioned to digital and quarterly print.
Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Named as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021.
Interviewed Prince Harry and Meghan (CBS special)
Conducted the high-profile Oprah interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex; broadcast on March 7, 2021 and drew ~17.1M US viewers.
Forbes real-time net worth reported (~Mar 2023)
Forbes reported Winfrey's real-time net worth at about $2.5 billion (report dated March 9, 2023).
Attended Los Angeles premiere of new The Color Purple film
Attended the December 6, 2023 LA premiere of the latest Color Purple musical film adaptation.
Publicly acknowledged use of prescription weight-loss medication
Around her 70th birthday Winfrey publicly admitted to using weight-loss medication as part of a personal health transformation and discussed obesity as a disease.
Key Achievement Ages
Explore what Oprah Winfrey and others achieved at these notable ages:
Similar Trajectories
John Katzman
Born 1959 · Age 66
American education technology entrepreneur; founder of The Princeton Review, 2U, and Noodle; author and long-time edtech investor and board member.
Satoru Iwata
Born 1959 · Age 66
Japanese video game programmer, producer and businessman; 4th president of Nintendo (2002–2015). Led Nintendo through the DS/Wii era and championed 'blue ocean' strategies and quality-of-life initiatives.
Dan Gillmor
Born 1959 · Age 66
American technology writer, columnist, author and educator known for pioneering journalism blogging, founding citizen-journalism projects, authoring We the Media, and directing digital media initiatives at Arizona State University.
Ira Glass
Born 1959 · Age 66
American public radio personality; host and creator of This American Life; influential editor/producer in narrative audio journalism.
Mary Meeker
Born 1959 · Age 66
American venture capitalist and former Wall Street securities analyst; founder and general partner of BOND (Bond Capital). Known for annual Internet Trends reports and investments in major tech companies.
Brian Roberts
Born 1959 · Age 66
American businessman and billionaire; chairman and CEO of Comcast; son of Comcast founder Ralph J. Roberts. Led Comcast through major acquisitions and expansion into broadband, media and international markets; active philanthropist and industry leader.