Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most influential media figures in history — host and producer of "The Oprah Winfrey Show", which ran for 25 seasons (1986–2011) and remains the highest-rated daytime talk show in American television history. Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi in 1954, she rose from rural poverty to become the first Black woman billionaire, founding Harpo Productions, launching OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network), and executive-producing acclaimed films including "Selma" and Broadway's "The Color Purple". Her Book Club shaped American reading habits for a generation, her interviews (from Michael Jackson to Meghan Markle) define cultural moments, and her Oprah's Angel Network and personal philanthropy — including the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa — have donated hundreds of millions of dollars. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 and Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2018.