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Oprah Winfrey is probably the most famous and celebrated media mogul in America with an estimated net worth of $2.9 billion. She owns O, The Oprah Magazine and The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) which airs in more than 80 million homes in America.
According to Forbes, she became one of the 500 richest people in the world, as well as becoming the first black female entrepreneur to appear on the list. She has also won dozens of awards in every arena imaginable. These are her richest friends that she hangs out with when she is not busy working full time and running her media empire.
Gayle King
CBS This Morning host Gayle King and Oprah met in the 1970s when they were working as journalists at WJZ television in Maryland. Theirs was an instant connection and they quickly became best friends. King has been a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show several times.
When they had a road trip from California to New York City, their bond just grew stronger. Most recently, Gayle King’s professional manner during an interview with R. Kelly who has been charged with criminal sexual abuse, helped King to have a spot on the "Time 100 Most Influential People" list for 2019 as well as the cover.
Dr. Phil
Before appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Phil McGraw did not have a TV career at all. Soon after he started appearing on Oprah’s show on a weekly basis, he got his own show called "Dr. Phil" in 2002. It became popular pretty quickly and was nominated for Emmy®.
He still continues to address mental health issues and make positive changes in people’s lives. Not only have the duo been close friends since, but also have worked on the same projects many times. Oprah is also close friends with Phil’s wife Robin McGraw. Dr. Phil recently appeared in Oprah's Super Soul Sunday.
Barack and Michelle Obama
Oprah was friends with Barack and Michelle Obama even before Barack Obama’s presidential election. The friendship got stronger in 2007 when she openly supported him on CNN's "Larry King Live” and said that she believed in him. Her endorsement of him for president is what some feel is what got him elected.
In 2013, Oprah received the US's highest honor for a civilian, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, presented to her by then-president Obama. Oprah also interviewed former First Lady Michelle Obama many times about her book called Becoming. The Obamas receive advice from Oprah frequently when it comes to the media. They remain close friends and continue to attend many events together.
Meghan Markle
When Meghan Markle, a former actress in the American TV series Suits, got married to Prince Harry in 2018, Oprah Winfrey was one of the few American guests who attended the wedding in London. Oprah is also friends with Doria Ragland, Markle’s mother. They meet for yoga on a regular basis at Winfrey's home and have lunch together.
Oprah recently defended Meghan Markle on CBS This Morning because she has been constantly chased by paparazzi and criticized wrongly by the English press. Oprah and Prince Harry have recently agreed to work together, and will produce a series about mental health for Apple TV.
Beyoncé
Beyoncé and Oprah’s friendship dates back to 2001 when Destiny’s Child performed on The Oprah Winfrey Show. When she left the group, she again appeared on the show in 2003 this time with "Dangerously in Love,” her first solo album.
In 2013, she shared her personal life on Oprah's Next Chapter and talked about the documentary Beyoncé: Life Is But a Dream. The two joined forces when Hurricane Harvey devastated many homes and appeared on a television special together "Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Harvey Relief" to raise money for the hurricane victims. Beyoncé frequently posts Instagram photos of her and Oprah.
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts, best known for her role in Pretty Woman, has been friends with Oprah for many years. She was a regular guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show appearing more than 20 times. Julia Roberts was one of the celebrities who attended the final season of the show, too.
Julia is very open about her friendship with Oprah and has spoken highly of her many times. In 2013, the two competed for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role at the SAG Awards. Recently, Oprah conducted an interview with Julia Roberts on her 50th birthday for Harper's Bazaar magazine.
Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry who is an American filmmaker has been friends with Oprah for many years, as well as business partners. Listed as the highest-paid businessman in the entertainment industry by Forbes, Tyler and Oprah had allegedly a brief break in their friendship when a focus group was hired by her to study one of the sitcoms Perry made. Gayle King, who is Oprah’s best pal, denied the rumors instantly.
On October 5th, 2019, the mogul opened a major studio called Atlanta's Tyler Perry Studios and Oprah was one of the celebrities who joined the opening ceremony. She openly celebrated his success.
Ava DuVernay
Oprah and Ava became friends when Oprah was deeply affected by Ava DuVernay, the director of A Wrinkle in Time, and decided to invite her and Ava’s mother to an event at her house. This is how the friendship started between the two. Ava is known to be an American film distributor and filmmaker who won the Best Director Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012 with her film called “Middle of Nowhere.”
Oprah and Ava worked on several projects since then like Queen Sugar, Selma, and A Wrinkle in Time. Oprah was also a host in When They See Us a drama mini series Netflix event. A Conversation With Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay can be seen on Netflix as well.
Deepak Chopra
When Deepak Chopra appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in the ’90s, he was an Indian-born American alternative medicine doctor, author, and public speaker nobody knew about. When Oprah met him, she decided to support his new-age ideas like mindfulness and meditation.
Thanks to Oprah, he rose to fame quickly. Chopra is a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California. Oprah talks about Deepak Chopra as one of the greatest leaders of our time. The two also worked together on the Oprah & Deepak 21-Day Meditation Experience, an online meditation program about mindfulness and meditation.
Maya Angelou
Oprah had considered Maya Angelou, the civil rights activist, and poet, as her mentor until the day Maya passed away. Winfrey has publicly spoken about the advice she has taken from Maya throughout her career and that she has learned so much from her in order to stay grounded.
The two met each other when Oprah was in her 20s and her career was just starting in Baltimore. It was in the 1970s when Oprah, who was working as a news reporter, interviewed Angelou. When they randomly met in Chicago in 1984, their friendship started. Maya Angelou won three Grammys and spoke six languages.
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