Oprah Winfrey is an internationally influential self-made billionaire African-American woman. Born to an unwed mother who had a short relationship with a soldier stationed nearby, Oprah grew up in dire poverty, and was primarily raised by her grandmother. Sexually abused and mistreated as a child, Winfrey rose above adversity to focus on her primary and high school education. After developing a close relationship with a young man and winning a local beauty pageant got her a chance to shine at a local radio station, Winfrey knew that she wanted to work in the broadcast industry. Despite failing one key interview, she persevered and moved across the country to secure a job as a television reporter. Although she never quite adapted to the job, and was later fired, she gained enough experience to be given her own morning talk show. After Winfrey delivered solid ratings, she moved across the country to host a new talk show. After the ratings exploded, she was given control over her own show, which soon became a wildly popular national phenomenon. Winfrey rapidly expanded her media network, launching a magazine, television channel and radio network, and is now considered to be one of the most influential and powerful women on the planet