Kylie Jenner Finally Addresses ‘Self-Made Billionaire’ Backlash: “Privilege Was a Major Stepping Stone”

Kylie Jenner is directly addressing the long-running controversy over her “self-made billionaire” title. The cosmetics mogul, 29, opened up in a new cover interview with Who What Wear, giving a candid and nuanced response to a debate that has followed her for years.

“None of the money I’ve ever made is inherited, so it’s technically true,” Jenner said, defending the literal truth of the claim. “But people just feel like the privilege I’ve had was a major stepping stone”. Her comments mark a shift from dismissing critics to acknowledging that the enormous platform, famous family name, and millions of followers she was born into provided a massive advantage that most aspiring entrepreneurs never have.

The controversy began in 2019 when Forbes dubbed her the “youngest-ever self-made billionaire” after she sold a 51% stake in Kylie Cosmetics to Coty Inc. for $600 million at age 21, unseating Mark Zuckerberg. Critics have long argued that the “self-made” label ignores her upbringing in a wealthy and famous family, where several members were already multimillionaires. Forbes has since revised its estimate of her net worth to around $670 million.

In the same interview, Jenner opened up about how her perspective on life has changed as she approaches 30. She admitted that she once craved an “enormous life” and went all out buying an extravagant Beverly Hills house. “I realized that my life got too big, and I said, ‘Yeah, never mind.’ I think I lost control of my life a little bit for a while there”. She also reflected on becoming a mother at a young age, saying she felt she “lost some of those young years” and made a promise to herself at 25 to take a break from having children.