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Right Arrow Button IconHow I made my first million

How I made my first million

How I Made My First Million, from Fortune Success: The inside scoop on how entrepreneurs, investors, and CEOs built their fortunes—and how you can too.
Meet the founder who started over at 50 and worked 20-hour days to build a multimillion dollar cookie dough empire—and still won’t take a day off
EuropeMeet the founder who started over at 50 and worked 20-hour days to build a multimillion dollar cookie dough empire—and still won’t take a day off
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 26, 2026
Emma Grede—the self-made millionaire behind the $5 billion Skims empire—says it all began with an audacious cold call to Kris Jenner: ‘The difference between me and someone else is, I made it happen’
SuccessEmma Grede—the self-made millionaire behind the $5 billion Skims empire—says it all began with an audacious cold call to Kris Jenner: ‘The difference between me and someone else is, I made it happen’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 16, 2026
Philippines’ first male Olympic gold medalist in history was given a fully furnished $550,000 condo and a lifetime supply of ramen to go with his medals
SuccessPhilippines’ first male Olympic gold medalist in history was given a fully furnished $550,000 condo and a lifetime supply of ramen to go with his medals
By Orianna Rosa RoyleFebruary 4, 2026
Photo of Alexis Ohanian
SuccessAlexis Ohanian walked out of the LSAT 20 minutes in, went to a Waffle House, and decided he was ‘gonna invent a career.’ He founded Reddit
By Preston ForeJanuary 31, 2026
Fitness mogul Kayla Itsines
SuccessKayla Itsines became a millionaire at 22 and sold her fitness app for $400 million—buying a gas station paid her rent
By Emma BurleighJanuary 30, 2026
Hinge CEO says he bribed students with Kit Kats to get the $550-million-a-year business off the ground: ‘I had to beg and borrow a lot‘
SuccessHinge CEO says he bribed students with Kit Kats to get the $550-million-a-year business off the ground: ‘I had to beg and borrow a lot‘
By Orianna Rosa RoyleDecember 12, 2025
Meet Luana Lopes Lara: The 29-year-old ex-ballerina spent college summers working for Ray Dalio and Ken Griffin—now she’s the youngest female self-made billionaire
SuccessMeet Luana Lopes Lara: The 29-year-old ex-ballerina spent college summers working for Ray Dalio and Ken Griffin—now she’s the youngest female self-made billionaire
By Orianna Rosa RoyleDecember 4, 2025
Alex Bouaziz, Deel's CEO
SuccessDeel’s CEO was told to sack his entire leadership team—he ignored other founders, kept the original $0 crew and is now running a $17 billion giant
By Orianna Rosa RoyleNovember 19, 2025
After selling his business for $532 million, this millennial says a life of leisure was surprisingly ‘boring’, so he’s choosing to go back to work
Arts & EntertainmentAfter selling his business for $532 million, this millennial says a life of leisure was surprisingly ‘boring’, so he’s choosing to go back to work
By Orianna Rosa RoyleNovember 9, 2025
Alexis Ohanian speaks holding a microphone
SuccessReddit cofounder once walked away with $10 million—He returned and helped lead the company to a $40 billion market cap today
By Preston ForeOctober 28, 2025
Big Bang Theory star had an existential crisis after his big break—despite making $1 million an episode: ‘I was in my early 30s, and I had everything… but you feel empty’
SuccessBig Bang Theory star had an existential crisis after his big break—despite making $1 million an episode: ‘I was in my early 30s, and I had everything… but you feel empty’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleOctober 20, 2025
This millennial went from being a builder on $5 an hour to launching (and selling) Wingstop UK for $532 million—with zero restaurant experience
SuccessThis millennial went from being a builder on $5 an hour to launching (and selling) Wingstop UK for $532 million—with zero restaurant experience
By Orianna Rosa RoyleOctober 12, 2025
Kenn Ricci and people drinking champagne on jet
SuccessFlexjet’s chairman was living with his parents—then he borrowed $500 from his dad to help buy a company, and became a billionaire
By Emma BurleighOctober 1, 2025
Multimillionaire Big Bang Theory star says he scrubbed toilets, waited tables and played a terrorist before finding fame on the show—‘any job I could’
SuccessMultimillionaire Big Bang Theory star says he scrubbed toilets, waited tables and played a terrorist before finding fame on the show—‘any job I could’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleSeptember 27, 2025
Steve Jobs’ intern went on to sell his company to Google for $625 million—he now advises grads to pay to work for impressive people
SuccessSteve Jobs’ intern went on to sell his company to Google for $625 million—he now advises grads to pay to work for impressive people
By Orianna Rosa RoyleSeptember 22, 2025
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Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regretsplaceholder alt text
By Preston ForeApril 27, 2026
Energy
‘Take the money and run’: Johns Hopkins economist Steve Hanke on why the UAE quit OPECplaceholder alt text
By Shawn TullyApril 29, 2026
AI
‘The cost of compute is far beyond the costs of the employees’: Nvidia executive says right now AI is more expensive than paying human workersplaceholder alt text
By Sasha RogelbergApril 28, 2026
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