12 Celebrities with the Most Inspirational Rags-to-Riches Stories

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T.I.

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American rap artist and actor T.I. was born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. He was raised by his grandparents and dealt with drugs at age 14. Now he is an established man in the music industry, and Harris has even established his own record called Grand Hustle Records.

Ronda Rousey

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Ronda Rousey is now one of the most bankable female athletes of this generation. But before she was raking in endorsement deals and magazine covers, Rousey has opened up on her childhood home being “kinda hellish.”

Justin Bieber

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Justin Bieber‘s mom, Pattie Mallette, raised the superstar in-the-making as a single mom during his younger years. To pay the bills, she worked several low-paying jobs, and the family had to stick with living in low-income housing. Bieber’s rise to fame has certainly helped improve their lives as the Canadian boy wonder is now worth an astounding $200 million.

Steve Harvey

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Steve Harvey became a household name after being a talk show host and a best-selling author. But who could forget the mishap in the 2015 Miss Universe pageant? Nonetheless, Harvey has had way worse problems before. After a failed marriage, he was left homeless and slept in his 1976 Ford Tempo.

Steve Jobs

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Steve Jobs left a legacy following his death in 2011, but the founder of Apple has had a rough upbringing. He describes his father as an “alcoholic and sometimes abusive.”  As a student, Jobs had to resort to sleeping in a friend’s room because he couldn’t afford his own.

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