A fortnight after she was crowned the youngest billionaire by Forbes, Kylie Jenner has spoken up about criticism over the magazine’s use of the word ‘self-made’ to describe her.
In conversation with Interview Germany, the 21-year-old creator and owner of Kylie Cosmetics said, “There’s really no other word to use other than self-made because that is the truth. That is the category that I fall under.”
While she admits her family’s fame gives her an edge most people don’t have, she insists that she’s been financially independent for the last six years.
“I am a special case because before I started Kylie Cosmetics, I had a huge platform and lots of fans,” she says. “I did not get money from my parents past the age of 15. I used 100 percent of my own money to start the company, not a dime in my bank account is inherited… and I am very proud of that.”
However, she acknowledges that her cosmetic brand’s success did come as a surprise to her.
“I never thought that this could happen. I believed in Kylie Cosmetics but I didn’t even know what I was getting myself into,” she says. “It feels amazing, it’s wild, and being the youngest ever to do it is a blessing. I now want to focus on giving back to people and doing things that I’m passionate about.”
She says she wants to set an example as someone who “pushed boundaries, inspired them, worked incredibly hard, set trends, and made history with my business — all at a young age.”
