From Abraham Lincoln to Rockefeller

With so many successful people throughout history, it might surprise you to hear that many of them came from poor origins. Rags to riches have always been stories of perseverance and innovation. After all, if they can do it, so can we! With that in mind, here are 20 of the most famous rags-to-riches stories throughout history.

Published by Scientific American Compiling Dep't, New York. 1907. on Wikimedia

1. Napoleon Bonaparte

While Napoleon wasn’t poor, his father, who was a minor noble, would pass and leave his family in a dire state. Napoleon ended up mingling with the poorer classes and developed most of his people skills. However, it might have been his noble roots that got him picked as a representative, but either way, he would take the little power he was given and use it to take over an entire country.

Jacques-Louis David on Wikimedia

2. Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Considered one of the three unifiers of Japan, Hideyoshi began as a peasant foot-soldier and didn’t even have a last name until he defeated all rival lords and found himself ruler of Japan. Ironically, he decided to create some laws to prevent anyone else from having that level of social mobility.

Kanō Mitsunobu on Wikimedia

3. Genghis Khan

Everyone knows about Genghis Khan’s influence, but his origin is quite unique. While he was born to a noble family, his father was taken out by rivals and he was cast out, having to survive by hunting in the wilds and eating rats. Despite this rocky start, he would go on to rise through the tribal ranks and assimilate the nomadic regions into one vast empire.

Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service on Wikimedia

4. Emperor Gaozu

Also known as Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu is credited with founding the Han Dynasty of China. Despite this acclaim, he was actually born a commoner and worked as a minor law enforcement official before rebelling against the Qin Dynasty due to their harsh prisoner escape rules.

Unknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia

5. Empress Catherine I

Not to be confused with the other Catherine of Russia, this Empress was considered one of the most beautiful women of her generation, but when her parents passed, she had to work as a servant. She eventually married a Swedish soldier who abandoned her and became a working girl at an army camp. Finally, she was introduced to Peter the Great, who eventually fell in love with her and married her.

Heinrich Buchholz on Wikimedia

6. Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln is considered one of the most impactful U.S. presidents, but he started out as a nobody born in a log cabin to two illiterate parents in the Kentucky Frontier. However, through his pursuit of knowledge, he managed to rise to the highest office in the country.

Library of Congress on Unsplash

7. J.K. Rowling

A more modern rags-to-riches story is that of J.K. Rowling, who is best known for creating the Harry Potter books. At one point, she was a single mother living on welfare who consistently pitched her book to agents despite numerous rejections. Of course, her perseverance paid off and her books would go on to make millions.

Shayna Douglas on Unsplash

8. Andrew Carnegie

Andrew Carnegie was born in poverty in Scotland before his parents immigrated to the United States. He began working in a cotton mill and made his way to becoming a telegrapher, but his desire for knowledge led him to slowly dominating the steel industry. Starting with nothing, he went on to become one of the wealthiest men in history.

Theodore C. Marceau on Wikimedia

9. John D. Rockefeller

Known as one of the wealthiest men around, Rockefeller actually started as a nobody earning a mere $3.57 a week, which he meticulously saved and invested before co-founding the Standard Oil Company. The rest is history, as the oil boom sealed his fate and wealth.

David Vives on Unsplash

10. Madame CJ Walker

The first female millionaire, Madame Walker was born in Louisiana and was the child of recently freed slaves. She’s also one of the first self-made female millionaires who started a line of hair care products exclusively designed for black women. She started with nothing and ended up reaching the highest strata of society.

Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.) (photographers). on Wikimedia

11. Justin I

Justin I stands out from other Byzantine emperors considering he was born as a peasant who went on to work as a sheepherder in the Balkans. When he arrived at the capital city, he worked as a guard for Byzantine Emperor Leo. When childless Emperor Anastasius I died, Justin used his ties with fellow military men to seize the throne for himself.

Giovanni Battista de'Cavalieri (1526–1597) on Wikimedia

12. Biddy Mason

Born as a slave, Biddy Mason is considered one of America’s first female real estate tycoons. After her family moved to California, she was able to petition for her freedom, and then went on to become the city’s first black landowner after working as a midwife for a bit. From there, she invested in properties and amassed quite a fortune.

Unknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia

13. Theodora

Theodora was the daughter of a bear tamer and actress who became a working girl to survive. Eventually, she would meet Emperor Justinian and would go on to marry him. Justinian gave her a lot of trust, and she became quite influential in advising him on political, religious, and feminist matters.

Petar Milošević on Wikimedia

14. Henry Miller

Starting off as a penniless immigrant in America, Henry Miller started his journey in San Francisco with only $6. He went on to work as a butcher’s assistant before expanding his own business by purchasing cattle and land. In 50 years, Miller had built a 1.3 million-acre cattle empire worth millions.

Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash

15. Zhu Yuanzhang

Zhu Yuanzhang was a peasant farmer in China who lost most of his family to famine. Riddled with bad luck, he spent his time as a wandering beggar before making his way to a Buddhist monastery where he learned to read and write. Apparently, that was all the kick he needed, as he would go on to establish the Ming Dynasty in China.

Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China on Wikimedia

16. Henry Ford

Henry Ford started out working on a farm in Michigan and had a limited education. Despite this, he became an apprentice machinist and would go on to revolutionize the automobile industry. Of course, nowadays, he’s best known for founding the Ford Motor Company.

Hartsook, photographer. on Wikimedia

17. Alexander Hamilton

The musical does a great job of portraying Hamilton’s life, but he was indeed born to an unmarried mother and raised in poverty before being sent to New York for an education. He was an orphan who worked as a clerk before amassing knowledge and becoming an influential founding father.

Kenneth C. Zirkel on Wikimedia

18. Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison is known as a famous inventor and also a thief who stole the inventions of others. Either way, he did start off born to a poor family in Ohio. He actually self-educated himself and worked various jobs before going on to develop the phonograph and light bulb.

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19. Benjamin Franklin

Even Benjamin Franklin started out as the son of a poor candle-maker. However, he had an innate talent for writing and was naturally curious. He eventually struck out on his own at 17 and found success as a printer, publisher, and writer. He authored Poor Richard’s Almanack and would go on to become quite a wealthy man.

Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

20. Ralph Lauren

Now known as a fashion icon, Ralph began his life growing up in a poor Jewish family in the Bronx. Despite this, he worked as a tie salesman before finally starting Polo Ralph Lauren in 1967. His perseverance and dedication led him to become one of the world's most successful designers.

Arnaldo Anaya-Lucca on Wikimedia