As per Forbes’ 2008 list of billionaires two third of the 1,125 are of humble origin. These billionaires have come up in life from challenging circumstances. It is a fact that rags-to-riches stories are stories of unlimited human potential. These stories are highly motivating for the individuals who consider sky as the limit.

1.George Soros

He hails from a Jewish family in Hungary and fled home at the age of sixteen. He studied in London School of Economics. To meet his needs he worked in many low paying jobs like a railway porter, waiter, a swimming pool attendant etc.

He is a billionaire and even at 77 he banks billions. This hedge fund pioneer is heard buying a top Italian soccer club.

2. Kirk Kerkorian

He is 90 year old and comes from a family that had moved to Los Angeles after their farm was foreclosed by banks. His father sold watermelons and he was school dropout to supplement family income. He, like Soros, also did odd jobs spanning across a boxing career to a fighter pilot trainer during World War II.

The latter experience led him to start a charter flight company and the profits he made after selling this company made him a millionaire. He was also successful with Las Vegas casinos and hotels. Today he is a billionaire with a net worth of $16 billion.

3. Roman Abramovich

He is a billionaire with a net worth of $23.5 billion. This Russian was orphaned at the age of four. He met success with controversial oil trades after Soviet Union collapsed. He did not stick to oil trade alone. He diversified into steel, mining and soccer. He owns Chelsea.

4. Li Ka-shing
He started working in a factory when he was a teenager because of his father’s premature death. He is a billionaire with a net worth $26.5 billion. He quit working in the factory and started making and selling plastic flowers and this venture grew into Cheung Kong Industries. After several ventures with conglomerates like Hutchinson Whampoa Li has emerged as the world’s largest health and beauty retailer and also the largest operator of container terminals. He is knighted by Queen Elizabeth.

5. Oprah Winfrey

This media moghul is an amazing example of extraordinary grit and determination. Because her parents split, she had to travel between various households and at one point of time she was also forced to live in a pig farm. She too started her career at a very young age. She began as a radio DJ when she was in high school and at 19 she anchored a local Nashville news show. She moved into hosting morning talk show and gradually became a hit.

Today her work airs in 135 countries and draws 46 million viewers a week in the U.S. alone. Her many other media ventures, including a magazine, made her a billionaire with a net worth at $2.5 billion.
These stories of success tells us that journey from rags to riches is not impossible and is full of challenges which require courage, faith and determination.