Once again, Kylie Jenner has spoken out in defense of her “self-made” label.
Back in 2019, Jenner appeared on the cover of Forbes and was named the world’s youngest “self-made billionaire.” The title immediately sparked debate, with many questioning how “self-made” could apply to someone born to Kris and Caitlyn Jenner.
In a new interview with Who What Wear, Jenner addressed the ongoing discussion around her wealth and the “self-made” title — a conversation she has faced for the last seven years.
“None of the money I’ve ever made is inherited, so it’s technically true,” she explained. “But people just feel like the privilege I’ve had was a major stepping stone.”
According to Forbes, the term “self-made” refers to “someone who built a company or established a fortune on her own, rather than inheriting some or all of it.” By that definition, Jenner fits the category because her wealth came from building Kylie Cosmetics rather than inheriting a fortune, though critics have continued to point out the advantages she had from growing up in a wealthy and famous family.
After the backlash over Forbes naming her “self-made” in 2019, Jenner addressed the criticism in an interview with the German edition of Interview magazine, saying she was “very proud” of the achievement.
“There’s really no other word to use other than self-made because that is the truth,” Jenner said at the time. “That is the category that I fall under.”
Jenner was 21 years old when she received the title of the youngest self-made billionaire. However, the following year, Forbes claimed she had “creat[ed] tax returns that were likely forged” to make her wealth appear larger than it was, leading the publication to lower its estimate of her net worth below the billion-dollar mark.
Last year, Forbes ranked Jenner at No. 52 on its list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women, estimating her net worth at $670 million.
