Rags-to-Riches Celebrities
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Poor No More
Some of today's most recognizable celebrities had to overcome very big obstacles to become the megastars they are today.
As the following photo gallery reveals it hasn't always been a posh life for many of your favorite entertainers.
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Next: Jim Carrey -
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Jim Carrey
When his family fell on hard times when Carrey was a teen he had to work as both a janitor and a security guard before eventually dropping out of high school. Over time, the situation worsened and the family lost their home, leading them to live in a van.
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Next: Tom Cruise -
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Tom Cruise
After his parents divorced Cruise, along with his siblings, was raised by his mother, who reportedly held down as many as four jobs at once to keep the family clothed and fed. Adding to Cruise's troubles was his struggle with dyslexia, which caused him difficulty in the classroom.
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Next: J.K. Rowling -
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J.K. Rowling
After Rowling's marriage ended in divorce, she moved her daughter to Edinburgh, Scotland, where she was hard at work on the first of her best-selling 'Harry Potter' books. During that time, the struggling writer was committed to completing her book and was forced to live, albeit briefly, on welfare.
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Next: Celine Dion -
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Celine Dion
Born into an impoverished, but happy, family of 14 in Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion developed a passion for the arts at an early age. Growing up fine-tuning her skill at her parents' piano bar, she never lost that drive -- or the desire for a better life.
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Next: Oprah Winfrey -
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Oprah Winfrey
Born to unwed parents in rural Mississippi, Oprah was raised on her poverty-stricken grandma's farm. After moving to Wisconsin to be with her mom she was sexually molested by male relatives. She then moved to her father's home in Nashville, Tenn., where she finally found discipline and stability.
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See More Rags-to-Riches Celebrities
Next: Richest Show Biz Women -
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Who Are the Richest
Women in Entertainment?
Each of these 20 divas have a minimum net worth of $45 million. Can you guess the top five?
Gallery: 20 Richest Women in Entertainment -
(L) CBS, (R) NBC
Top-Earning
Talk Show Hosts
Some say talk is cheap, but not if you look at the salary of the top-earning talk show hosts. See how much Jay Leno, David Letterman, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil and others make.
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Best-Paid Taking Heads -
Most Overexposed Celebrities
Even at the peak of their careers, only an average of 3 to 7 percent of Americans would use the term "overexposed" to describe most celebs. Not so with the 15 stars on Forbes' list of uber attention-getters.
See which stars the public would like to see a lot less of.
Gallery: Most Overexposed Celebs
Next: Richest Women in Show Biz -
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Richest Young Celebs
What were you doing in your teens and early 20's? These youngsters are earning millions of dollars. See how much Lindsay Lohan and others are making today.
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Top-Earning Young Stars -
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Billionaire Bachelors
Among the ranks of Forbes' Billionaire Bachelors list are about 100 eligible men, including singles, divorcees and widowers.
The group includes the Google founders, a German prince, a former Olympic hockey player and a former fire-breathing accordion player.
Gallery: (Very) Rich & Single -
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Top-Earning
Men in EntertainmentThe male entertainers (excluding athletes) on Forbes' annual listing of the World's Most Powerful Celebrities earned on average nearly twice as much as the list's women.
See which men are raking in the most dough.
Gallery: Highest-Paid Men -
The Web Celeb 25
From penniless bloggers to geek entrepreneurs, these are the biggest and brightest stars on the Web.
Pictured: YouTube star Jessica Lee Rose attracted millions of online fans last year as Lonleygirl15.
Gallery: Web Celeb 25 -
Hottest Billionaire Heiresses
From William Randolph Hearst's great-granddaughter Amanda Hearst (pictured) to Paris & Nicky Hilton, these ladies have both killer looks and killer wallets.
Gallery: Hottest Billionaire Heiresses -
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Money Tips
You too can go from rags-to-riches. You just need to manage your money better.
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