Kylie Jenner
A reality TV star who leveraged massive social media influence to build a billion-dollar cosmetics empire before the age of 25.
Born 1997 (age 29)·American media personality and socialite·Birthday: August 10·Generation Z
Biography
Kylie Jenner grew up in the public eye, the youngest member of the Kardashian-Jenner family on *Keeping Up with the Kardashians*. Rather than just inhabit that fame, she weaponized it, understanding the power of social media before many established brands did. In 2015, at 18, she launched Kylie Cosmetics with a $29 'Lip Kit,' which sold out in less than a minute. This wasn't just a celebrity endorsement; it was a direct-to-consumer revolution fueled by her intimate connection with millions of followers on Instagram and Snapchat. Her business savvy turned a viral moment about her lips into a juggernaut, with Forbes once estimating the sale of a majority stake made her, for a time, the world's youngest self-made billionaire—a title that sparked debate but underscored her commercial impact. She represents the apex of the influencer-to-entrepreneur pipeline, blurring the lines between personal life, brand, and commerce.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Kylie was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kylie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Kylie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Founded Kylie Cosmetics, which sold an estimated $420 million in its first 18 months of business.
- Was named one of *Time* magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.
- Became the youngest-ever recipient of the Council of Fashion Designers of America's Influencer Award in 2018.
Did You Know?
She briefly held the record for the most-liked photo on Instagram (a birth announcement for her daughter Stormi).
She named her cosmetics company 'Kylie Cosmetics' after failing to trademark the phrase 'Kylie' (which was already owned by Kylie Minogue).
She and her sister Kendall Jenner co-own the clothing brand Kendall + Kylie.
“I'm not here to be like everyone else. I'm here to be me.”
