Oprah Winfrey

Born: January 29, 1954

Company: Harpo Inc.,

Position: Chairman

Industry: Media

Country: United States

Oprah Gail Winfrey is the chairman of Harpo, Inc., Harpo Productions, Inc., Harpo Studios, Inc., Harpo Films, Inc., Harpo Print, LLC and Harpo Video, Inc. She is one of a handful of women who are self made billionaires, and is the only black female billionaire and the richest African American.

The Oprah Winfrey Show  is the highest-rated TV talk show in history and  is seen in 110 countries. 

Oprah has been honored with the most prestigious awards in broadcasting, including the George Foster Peabody Individual Achievement Award (1996) and the IRTS Gold Medal Award (1996).  Oprah and The Oprah Winfrey Show have received a total of 39 Daytime Emmy Awards:

Through Harpo Films, Oprah has a long-term deal with the ABC Television Network to produce Oprah Winfrey Presents telefilms. Scheduled for broadcast in fall 2004, Oprah Winfrey Presents: Their Eyes Were Watching God, based on the Zora Neale Hurston novel, will star Academy Award-winner Halle Berry.

Harpo Productions also owns and produces, the daily syndicated series, Dr. Phil, featuring life strategist Dr. Phil McGraw, Ph.D., who appeared as a regular guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show from 1998 through 2002. The talk show, which has ranked number two since its debut on September 16, 2002, is produced by Paramount Domestic Television and distributed in national syndication by King World Productions and globally by CBS Broadcast international.

In April 2000, Oprah and Hearst Magazines introduced O, The Oprah Magazine, a monthly magazine that has become one of today's leading women's lifestyle publications. It is credited as being the most successful magazine launch in recent history and currently has an audience of more than two million readers each month.

Oprah is co-founder of Oxygen Media, which was formed in November 1998 along with fellow founders Geraldine Laybourne, Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner, Caryn Mandabach. Oxygen Media includes the Oxygen Network, a women's cable network that launched on February 2, 2000 and is currently available in 48 million homes across the country.