Kylie Jenner has secured her place as the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, according to the 2019 Forbes billionaires list, surpassing Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s 2013 record.
The 21-year-old built her fortune through Kylie Cosmetics, the beauty brand she launched in 2016. The company reported $360 million in sales during its third year of operation, fueling her rise to billionaire status.
"I didn’t expect anything. I did not foresee the future," Jenner told Forbes. "But [the recognition] feels really good. That’s a nice pat on the back."
Jeff Bezos retained his position as the world’s richest person with a net worth of $131 billion, though global billionaire wealth declined to $8.7 trillion from $9.1 trillion between 2018 and 2019.
Zuckerberg’s fortune fell by $8.7 billion to $62.3 billion amid Facebook’s stock volatility linked to privacy controversies. Meanwhile, Bill Gates’ wealth grew to $96.5 billion, widening the gap between the top two billionaires.
The list, compiled using February 8, 2019, stock prices, included 2,153 billionaires—down from 2,208 in 2018. Women accounted for 252 of the 2,153, with China’s Wu Yajun becoming the richest self-made woman at $9.4 billion.
