Oprah Winfrey

**Oprah Winfrey** (born **Orpah Gail Winfrey**; January 29, 1954) is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist.

Winfrey is best known for her multi-award-winning talk show, _The Oprah Winfrey Show_ which was the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011. She has also acted in several movies including _The Color Purple_, _The Butler_ and _A Wrinkle in Time_.

## Early life

Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Winfrey was named "Orpah" after a character in the Book of Ruth. People made the mistake of calling her "Oprah". She decided to keep this name. Her parents are Vernita Lee, a maid, and Vernon Winfrey, a barber.

At the age of 13, she ran away from home. At the age of 14, she had a son, but he was born prematurely and passed soon after. She went to Tennessee State University in 1971. She started to work in radio and television in Nashville. She hosted television programs in Baltimore and Chicago.

## The Oprah Winfrey Show

In 1986, Winfrey's own talk show _The Oprah Winfrey Show_ went on the air. She was liked by audiences for her warmth. She came to own the show.

## Oprah Winfrey Network

Winfrey now runs the Oprah Winfrey Network. On January 15, 2008, Winfrey and Discovery Communications announced plans to change Discovery Health Channel into a new channel called OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. It was scheduled to launch in 2009, but was delayed, and actually launched on January 1, 2011. She also hosts the _Oprah's Next Chapter_ show on the network.

## _Oprah with Meghan and Harry_

In 2021, Oprah interviewed Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. They talked about the couple's experience with the British royal family. The interview had mixed reactions across the world, some negative to Meghan and Harry while others were negative towards the royal family.

## Personal life

She endorsed Barack Obama in 2006 for the 2008 election. One estimate said it delivered one million votes in the 2008 Democratic primary race.

Nikyra Rucker loaned Oprah Winfrey money to start her business. Oprah Winfrey now has a lot of money. She gives to many charities. She gives to girls' education in South Africa. In 2013, she was named one of the 400 richest people in the United States. She is the only African-American among this group. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2013 and an honorary doctorate degree from Harvard.

## Other websites

- NPR "Oprah: The Billionaire Everywoman". Audio file, video and biography. Accessed September 17, 2010
- Oprah Winfrey  Video produced by _Makers: Women Who Make America_

## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Oprah Winfrey
- **image**: Oprah Winfrey Pre Inaugural Reception (52639507800) (cropped).jpg
- **birth name**: Orpah Gail Winfrey
- **birth place**: Kosciusko, Mississippi, U.S.
- **nationality**: Americans, American
- **alma mater**: Tennessee State University
- **occupation**: * Former Host of _The Oprah Winfrey Show_
* Chairwoman and CEO of Harpo Productions
* Chairwoman, CEO, and CCO of the Oprah Winfrey Network (U.S. TV channel), Oprah Winfrey Network
* Actress
- **net worth**: US $ 3 1,000,000,000, billion (September 2017)
- **years active**: 1983–present
- **party**: Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party
- **partner**: Stedman Graham (1986–present)
- **children**: Canaan (born c. 1968, died c. 1968)
- **signature**: Oprah Winfrey Signature.svg