At Monday's Apple event, the tech giant made a number of big announcements concerning the future of the company, including the news of a new streaming service and a credit card.
But there was another big piece of news: Today, Oprah announced that she is working on two documentaries on the new Apple TV+ streaming service. The first is Toxic Labor, which takes a look at workplace harassment, and the other is a series that will discuss mental health. She also plans to create a book club to connect readers to new books across all Apple devices. Oprah says the new Apple platform will allow her to "do what I do in a new way."
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We have to wonder, with so many successful ventures, including her acting career, her cable network, her stake in Weight Watchers, and the new deal with Apple: How much is Oprah worth?
Oprah first came onto the scene as a news anchor — the first Black woman anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV. She went on to co-anchor shows in Baltimore and eventually Chicago, where she hosted AM Chicago starting in 1984. After Oprah came on that program, its ratings soared, and it was expanded to a full hour, national broadcast — and renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show — starting in 1986. From there, the rest is pretty much history.
Today, Oprah is an established TV personality and actress, having appeared in several shows and films, as well as her role as a special CBS contributor. She is also the owner of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, has co-authored five books, and runs Oprah.com, which averages more than 70 million page views per month. Additionally, Oprah regularly speaks at events and is a well-known philanthropist.
And all of these ventures and revenue streams add up to a pretty large amount of money.
As of 2019, Oprah's net worth is estimated to be $2.5 billion, according to Forbes. In addition to devoting a considerable amount of time and money to philanthropic efforts, Oprah owns a number of properties around the world that, according to Business Insider, she acquired for $100 million in total — including her home in Montecito, California, which she bought for $52 million. Oprah also has a $42 million private jet.
But Oprah's wealth isn't just defined by numbers — she has dedicated much of her life to helping others. In 2007, she opened the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa and has reportedly spent over $140 million on the school in the past decade. She also recently donated $100 million to the #TimesUp movement.
Though Oprah has built a life of immense financial and professional success, she also has made a point of practicing what she preaches when it comes to giving: "To me, the money is certainly a wonderful thing," Oprah once said. "But it is in direct proportion to how you're able to bless yourself and bless others with it."