The social media star and makeup mogul said she has "had a lot of help and a huge platform.”
Forbes may have named Kylie Jenner the youngest self-made billionaire, but even the 21-year-old says she didn't do it on her own.
“I can’t say I’ve done it by myself,” Jenner told the New York Times in an article published Saturday. “If they’re just talking finances, technically, yes, I don’t have any inherited money. But I have had a lot of help and a huge platform.”
That huge platform and help started with her family's hit reality series, "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," which she has appeared in since she was about 10. She launched Kylie Cosmetics in 2015 at the age of 18 and the company became a $900 million business. Jenner owns 100% of the company.
“I didn’t expect anything. I did not foresee the future,” Jenner told the Times.
Jenner also recognized this with Forbes, when the magazine said earlier this month that the mogul was the youngest self-made billionaire ever. She beat out Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, who didn't become a billionaire until he was the age of 23.
“I am a special case because before I started Kylie Cosmetics, I had a huge platform and lots of fans,” she told Forbes. But she hammered home that her money is no one's but hers, adding, “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.”
Forbes' declaration sparked outrage on social media by those who took issue with the term "self-made," claiming Jenner's heritage set her up for success.
Still, Jenner told the Times that the recognition "feels really good. That’s a nice pat on the back.”
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