Many of the richest people in the world started their careers fresh out of school but, for some, the millionaire and billionaire statuses didn’t come until much later in life. We round up the people who hit the jackpot after the age of 39.
Stan Lee – age he became a millionaire: 39
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Just shy of his 39th birthday, the late Stan Lee rose to fame with the creation of his comic book The Fantastic Four. Following this, he went on to create the legendary Marvel Universe, which included iconic characters such as Spider-Man and X-Men. He was estimated to be worth around $50 million (£39.3m) at the time of his death in November 2018.

Vera Wang: 40
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Formerly a figure skater and journalist, fashionista Vera Wang didn’t enter the fashion industry until she was 40. Since then, she has been designing award-winning women’s clothes and is now worth some $400 million (£314.4m).
Donald Fisher: 40
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With no prior experience in retail, Donald Fisher was 40 years old before he and his wife, Doris, opened the first Gap store in San Francisco. The couple’s business was an enormous success and quickly became immensely popular. The entrepreneur is now worth an estimated $3 billion (£2.4bn).

Martha Stewart: 40
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Although it might seem like Martha Stewart has been around forever, it wasn’t until the age of 40 when she got her big break. Her step into the world of the fabulously wealthy turned out to be her very first book, Entertaining. She is now estimated to be worth around $1 billion (£786m).

Gary Heavin: 40
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Gary Heavin was 40 when he launched his first Curves Fitness Center in 1992. The franchise went on to become the fastest growing of the 90s and made Heavin his fortune.
Alan Rickman: 42
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English actor Alan Rickman quit a successful graphic design business in his mid-20s when he went on to pursue acting. However, he spent years working in theatre and didn’t land his first big hit until he was offered the role of Hans Gruber in Die Hard at the age of 42. He was estimated to be worth $16 million (£12.6m) when he died in 2016.

Simon Cowell: 42
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While he may now have a net worth of $43.5 million (£34.2m), but Simon Cowell's career didn't get off to such a great start. His first job was in the mail room of EMI Music Publishing, courtesy of his father Eric. Frustrated by lack of promotion he left the company, only to return to EMI later. It was in 2001 when Cowell was 42 and he became a judge on pop reality TV show Pop Idol that the millions really started to come his way.

Robin Chase: 42
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Aged 42, Robin Chase co-founded Zipcar with just $67 (£52 today). The business quickly became widely popular and was later sold to Avis Budget Group for nearly $500 million (£393m). Chase now continues to build and advise start-ups and serve as a member of the World Economic Forum.

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Samuel L. Jackson: 43
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Despite being on the Hollywood scene for years, Samuel L. Jackson only hit the jackpot when he landed a role in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever at the age of 43. The award-winning role saw the actor quickly rise to fame, and subsequently rake in an estimated $200 million (£157m).
Barack Obama: 43
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The former president made a fair bit of cash during his time in the White House, but it wasn’t his presidency that led to his super-rich status. Aged 43, Obama re-published his book Dreams From my Father, capitalising on his journey into politics. The book landed him his first million and he has so far earned a further $4.6 million (£3.6m) from his writing career alone. He is now worth an estimated $12.2 million (£9.6m).

Sam Walton: 44
Henry Ford: 45
Jack Weil: 45
Rodney Dangerfield: 46
David Duffield: 47
Julia Child: 49
Charles Darwin: 50
Taikichiro Mori: 51
Ray Kroc: 52
Wally Blume: 57
Seasick Steve: 60
Susan Boyle: 48
arland Sanders: 73
Courtesy KFC
Better known as Colonel Sanders, the man behind the world’s favourite fried chicken chain, KFC, didn’t initially become successful until he was 66 when he began to franchise his burgeoning chicken business in earnest. In 1964, he hit the jackpot when he sold the franchise business for $2 million (£1.6m). He was estimated to be worth $3.5 million (£2.8m) at the time of his death in 1980.

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