Middle-Aged Millionaires: 15 People Who Got Rich After 40

While you can probably think of dozens of millionaires who struck it rich in their early years, there are plenty of people who didn’t become wealthy — like millionaire wealthy — until the age of 40 or even later. Their stories provide a little inspiration to those with wealth-building aspirations who haven’t quite reached millionaire status.

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Here’s a look at 15 people who became millionaires after 40 and how they earned their money.

Also see 10 billionaires who amassed their wealth after 40 .

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Sam Walton

Sam Walton’s career began during World War II when he served as an Army captain. After his service, he bought a Ben Franklin retail store franchise in Arkansas, which he later expanded to 14 other locations. However, it wasn’t until he turned 44 that he opened the first Walmart store. Walmart quickly took off, and by the year Walton turned 58, the Walmart corporation was worth $176 million.

Walton died with an estimated net worth of $8.6 billion.

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Barack Obama

America’s 44th president, Barack Obama, didn’t reach millionaire status until his 40s. In 2004, he signed a book deal for two nonfiction books and a children’s book. He received a $1.9 million advance for one of the nonfiction books. When he became president in 2008, he and his wife had a net worth of $1.3 million, which has since grown to at least $70 million.

Steve Carell

Steve Carell’s acting career began in the 1990s. He appeared on several television shows, including “The Dana Carvey Show” and “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” However, his big break came in his early 40s, when he landed the role of Michael Scott on “The Office.” Since then, he’s appeared in multiple comedy films, and he has an estimated net worth of $80 million.

Donald Fisher

Donald Fisher founded Gap Inc. with his wife, Doris, in his early 40s. He originally was in real estate development but decided to try his hand at retail after having difficulty finding jeans that fit well. The store initially offered jeans and music but later expanded to include functional clothing, accessories and personal care items for men, women and children. The Gap later evolved to include GapKids, babyGap, Banana Republic and Old Navy.

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart began her career as a Wall Street stockbroker. She worked for a small firm for five years until she opened a catering business in the 1970s. The business took off over several years, and in her early 40s, she published her first book, “Entertaining.” Her brand grew as she published additional books and released the “Martha Stewart Living” magazine.

Stewart now has an estimated net worth of $400 million.

Jack Weil

Jack Weil, founder of Rockmount Ranch Wear Manufacturing Company, led the company until he died at age 107. He started the company in his mid-40s. The company quickly became a success story by producing Western clothes, including bolo ties, cowboy belts and tailored button shirts with smile pockets.

Lucille Ball

Lucille Ball’s early career began as a model. She worked as a cigarette girl before moving to Hollywood to pursue acting. Ball had minor successes with roles in “The Three Musketeers” and “Stage Door.” However, she didn’t receive acting notoriety until her early 40s with the debut of the “I Love Lucy” television show. “I Love Lucy” propelled Ball’s acting career and finances.

She died with an estimated net worth of $60 million in 1989.

Gary Heavin

Gary Heavin and his wife, Diane, founded Curves, a fitness center that caters to women, in 1992. At that time, he was in his mid-30s. They began franchising the brand three years later and reached millionaire status. By 2005, Curves had over 9,000 locations worldwide, including in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South America.

Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington worked as a biographer and writer for “Politically Incorrect” before co-founding the news website “The Huffington Post” with Andrew Breitbart, Kenneth Lerer and Jonah Peretti in her mid-50s. “The Huffington Post” quickly gained steam, winning a Pulitzer Prize in 2012. AOL’s purchase of the website netted approximately $100 million for Huffington.

Huffington has an estimated net worth of $100 million.

Henry Ford

Henry Ford started his career as a machinist for a shipbuilding company in Detroit. Later, he was hired as an engineer for the Detroit Edison Company. During that time, he began designing plans for a gas-powered buggy on his own. The year he turned 40, he started the Ford Motor Company. However, it wasn’t until he turned 45 that he found millionaire success with the Model T, the first affordable car in America.

At the time of Ford’s death, he had an estimated net worth of $200 billion (adjusted for inflation today).

Larry David

Larry David didn’t achieve fame and fortune until his mid-40s, when he co-created the hit show “Seinfeld” with Jerry Seinfeld. Before then, he worked as a writer for “Saturday Night Live.” Once “Seinfeld” became a massive commercial success, it turned David into a millionaire, and he created another hit series, “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

David now has an estimated net worth of $400 million.

Julia Child

World-renowned chef Julia Child started her career as a copywriter for W. & J. Sloane. In her 30s, she joined the Office of Strategic Services as a researcher during World War II. After the war ended, Child and her husband moved to Paris, where she learned the art of French cooking and opened a culinary school. At 49, she published her first book, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” That took off, leading to multiple other cookbooks and her television show, “The French Chef.”

She died with an estimated net worth of $50 million.

James Dyson

James Dyson spent his early career studying art, furniture and interior design. He later became interested in engineering, and in his early 30s, he began designing a home vacuum cleaner. After testing over 5,000 prototypes, Dyson found a solution that used a cylindrical container rather than a bag. However, it wasn’t until his mid-40s that he reached millionaire status when the Dyson Cyclone vacuum became a bestseller in Britain and worldwide.

Dyson now has an estimated net worth of $22 billion.

Bryan Cranston

During his childhood, Bryan Cranston watched his father fail to succeed in acting. In high school, he joined the Law Enforcement Explorer Program at the Los Angeles Police Department, planning to become a cop. However, after taking an elective course in acting, Cranston changed his mind. He spent several years living on the road and doing short-term work before pursuing acting. In his mid-40s, he received a career-boosting role in “Malcolm in the Middle.” That led to his major breakthrough as Walter White in “Breaking Bad.”

Cranston has an estimated net worth of $40 million.

Vera Wang

Vera Wang’s first career was in figure skating. She reached the U.S. Figure Skating Championships but failed to qualify for the Olympics. After that, she began working in fashion. The year she turned 40, Wang decided to open a bridal gown store in New York City. Initially, she sold dresses from other fashion designers but began designing her own gowns. Her designs quickly gained popularity, and she went on to design costumes for Olympic figure skaters and TV shows. Today, you can find her designs in many high-end retail stores.

Wang has an estimated net worth of $650 million.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com : Middle-Aged Millionaires: 15 People Who Got Rich After 40