Written by Caitlyn Moorhead
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Edited by Gary Dudak
There’s nothing like pulling yourself up by your diamond-studded bootstraps and proving that underdogs worth millions can turn that paltry sum into even more millions, billions, or maybe even trillions.
“Self-made” is a funny term used to describe billionaires, especially when many of the uber-rich are practically 3D-printed from the metaphorical money lab. But at the end of the day, financial assistance has a different meaning when the source is generational wealth.
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Family support matters more than you may realize, especially when that family can afford to buy a private island for every member. So, when it comes to famous “self-made” billionaires, you’ll see that even though some of the startup money or loans aren’t for substantial amounts, it far surpasses what an average person can do without the same resources.
Here’s a look at how some well-known billionaires (and one trillionaire) started out, and why there aren’t really any rags-to-riches stories here.
1. Elon Musk
Whether or not you think the world should have trillionaires, there is no arguing the fact that one has now existed (briefly, though his net worth has now fallen back below the trillion-dollar mark).
Musk claims to be an inventor, but it’s arguably more valid that he’s an investor who came from a well-off family in South Africa. Despite his tumultuous relationship with his father, it’s reported that Errol Musk loaned his son $28,000 to start Zip2, his first software company.
Elon has denied this loan and claim, claiming that his father only provided 10% of a roughly $200,000 angel funding round much later, according to CNBC. Either way, the startup ended up selling for $300 million in 1999 to Compaq. It’s just too bad that the only money he made after that from stock in his companies, such as Tesla and SpaceX, turned him into the world’s first trillionaire.
2. Jeff Bezos
Before becoming a perceived American supervillain, Jeff Bezos got a $250,00 loan from his parents when he wanted to grow Amazon and turn it into the world’s largest bookstore. Bloomberg discovered a 1997 SEC filing that found Jackie and Mike Bezos invested $245,573 in Amazon in 1995.
This loan was a serious gamble, considering that the internet was still in its infancy and the idea of such a business wasn’t guaranteed by any means. Little did they know that this investment would be worth multiple billions and make them extremely wealthy. Bloomberg estimated that the parents’ net worth was around $30 billion, which is a drop in the bucket of what their son is currently worth.
3. Mark Zuckerberg
Although he may not be good at making friends, Zuckerberg reportedly received a loan of around $100,000 from his dad when he was starting Facebook. While little has been documented about this loan, the amount would certainly alleviate financial pressures while growing a business.
Talk about having the right social network.
4. Donald Trump
The current U.S. president was able to start building his real estate empire with a loan from his father, Fred Trump. Donald claimed it was a “very small amount” — just a measly $1 million.
With that chunk of change, President Trump built a multi-billion-dollar empire, even though a New York Times investigation discovered that Fred Trump actually had lent his son over $60 million. Trump has also admitted to borrowing over $9 million from his inheritance in the 1990s. You know, to make ends meet.
5. Kim Kardashian
Reality television pays, and in some cases it pays very well. It is believed that Robert Kardashian left his family with a $100 million inheritance. While it’s unknown how the money was split up, Kim has officially become a billionaire in recent years.
It just goes to show that the leg up she got (now held together by Skims)was substantial, and more than most people make in a lifetime.
Martin Dasko contributed to the reporting for this article.
Editor’s note: Net worth figures were sourced from Forbes and are accurate as of Aug. 15, 2026.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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