Getty
Kylie Jenner met the ire of the Internet last week when she landed the cover of Forbes magazine's 2018 List of America's Richest Self-Made Women, but sister Kim Kardashian's got her back.
Forbes says Kylie Cosmetics is now worth nearly $800 million and she owns 100% of the company. As for the "self-made" aspect, Jenner reportedly used around a quarter million dollars of her own money from modeling to make the first 15,000 lip kits. But fans have been divided when it comes to calling her completely "self-made," since she already came from a wealthy, celebrity family.
Getty/Twitter
Not Everyone's Thrilled Forbes Called Kylie Jenner a 'Self-Made Billionaire'
View Story"I really didn't get it, because she is 'self-made' — we are all 'self-made,'" Kim told Refinery29 about the backlash. "What, because we came from a family that has had success? To me, that doesn't really make sense."
"I know so many people like that [who] haven't turned out to be as successful as Kylie. If anything, I've seen the complete opposite," Kim added, giving Kylie props for taking "an insecurity of hers and [figuring] out how to make a really successful business off of it." The insecurity, of course, were Jenner's lips, which she started plumping up with injections when she was 17.
"Me, Kylie, not one [of the siblings] has ever depended on our parents for anything besides advice," she continued. "That's how I lived my life with my dad [Robert Kardashian]. He never gave me anything. We might have the opportunity, but I've seen it go the complete opposite way. Nobody works harder than my sisters and my mom."
See a sampling of the backlash after the cover dropped below:
Self-made means having succeeded in life unaided.
@Dictionarycom
Used in a sentence: Forbes says that Kylie Jenner is a self-made woman. https://t.co/sr8Ncd7s5A https://t.co/ehEL7Cf6KV
calling kylie jenner a 'self-made billionaire' is like claiming you made soup from scratch because you opened a can and reheated it.
@PedestrianPoet
kylie jenner's “self-made” empire is almost as funny as donald trump's “small loan of 1 million dollars”
@phan1om_
Does that say self made? On what planet is Kylie Jenner self made? https://t.co/IjUkVBO5Fr
@FeitsBarstool
Self made lol. Born into privilege and used that as a start up. Honour the women and men who started with nothing and made billions . The real entrepreneurs who literally had nothing and made it.
@ThomasHinds86
ah yes, kylie jenner, self made rich woman. how could you not love her backstory. being born to a lower class family, working menial jobs to make ends meet. finally getting her big break when her sister made a sex tape that turned into a reality show. you go, girl!
@LoboExplosivo
listen... what we're not about to do this AM is carry on & act as if Kylie Jenner is self made or got it out the mud, I bet it's real easy to be a 20yr old millionaire when you can run to mom & dad for that initial investment all while being a culture vulture 🌚
@__beniHANA
self-made? HAAAAA
@BUTERABlTCH
Every time I see that Forbes cover headline about Kylie Jenner being a self made billionaire, I cringe. That's an amazing accomplishment but by no means do I consider her self-made. If anyone of the Kardashian/Jenner squad started at the bottom and paved a way, it was Kim.
@Shayduriel
Forbes put Kylie Jenner on the cover of a magazine about billionaires and called her self-made. She is quite literally neither of those things.
@DavidDTSS
Not saying Kylie Jenner is undeserving or not hard working, but she most definitely was not self made
@Mariiiaxoo
Look, props to her entrepreneurship or whatever, but calling Kylie Jenner "self-made" is like being put in as a pinch runner on third base and telling everyone you hit a triple.
@MilesToGo13
I see Forbes has Kylie Jenner on it's cover as one of "America's Richest Self-Made Women". Must be some other definition of "Self-Made" I don't know about.
@LeslieMac
yes, I understand her makeup line has made her the most money, but do we really believe her makeup would have done so well if she hadn't been born famous?
@Franklymydear_
think it's time we examine what “self made” means https://t.co/IluTNpuHkM
@rawan
Calling Kylie Jenner self made is like saying cardi b spelled "kulture" right
@shmaded
Kylie Jenner: A true American tale of rags to riches. https://t.co/LhCyIYGR4I
@cdotharrison
She also had plenty of cheerleaders though, crediting her hustle.
I'm sorry but, did someone gift Kylie Jenner $900 million??!!?!???!
@KimKLegion
The answer is no, she earned them all by HERSELF. That's why she's on that richest SELF MADE women's list. Y'all can stay mad. pic.twitter.com/H4FoRmLJDE
This Kylie Jenner is not self made argument needs to die. A lot of Billionaires on Forbes had/have privileged parents. Facebook guy, Dangote, one woman who's an heir, Bill Gates even. You can't even deny that she's self made, yes she had money but she multiplied it. Rest
@GbemmyG
Kylie Jenner is about to become the youngest self made billionaire in history. Amassing her $900 million fortune in just 3 years.
@menzi_xonx
Welcome to the age of cultivating a personal brand, welcome to the age of Influence 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/loW00bmYZb
Kylie Jenner is just 21yrs old n worth $900,000,000 , on course to becoming the youngest self made female billionaire in the world. At fucking 21yrs old !!!!
@osaxxx_
I'm never RTing, LOLing or even paying attention to all those cosmetic surgery jokes/ bants / insults on her ever again.
Confused on why yal discrediting Kylie Jenner. She's definitely self made. Facts are facts.
@jacarlvs
Kylie Jenner started her make-up business by using her own money she had made from other gigs. That's what self-made is. This is not inheritance or being backed by a giant corporation. We clear? Okay good
@NomieThwala
**back to stanning** 😊
"Kylie Jenner isn't a self made billionaire LOLOL"
@BlerdyBabe
Can y'all come up with something else? We know she was born into a really rich family but it's still amazing thst she made all of that money from her lip kits. Stop being bitter.
Yea Kylie Jenner not self-made. But I'm giving her props on making the Forbes list🤷🏽♀️ Nobody else in that family is a billionaire and she created an empire that made her one all at the age of 21👏🏽👏🏽
@__Kendreala
Instagram
