10 Celebrity “Rags to Riches” stories you didn’t know about (With Pictures)

3. J.K. Rowling

Joanne Rowling came from humble beginnings in Yate, England. The now uber famous author was a struggling single mother living on welfare in Edinburgh, Scotland when she finally hit it big in 1999 with the release of the first Harry Potter novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The runaway success of the Harry Potter book series and subsequent movies have catapulted Rowling to super rich status. Looking back now, it’s hard to believe that she of all people received numerous rejection letters before the first book in the series was sold for a mere $4,000. She’s since amassed an astounding wealth and is now worth a staggering $1 billion. Not too shabby.