We all know a 14-year-old Instagram influencer who is making more money than their teenage angst knows what to do with. While the rest of us are adulting to the best of our abilities, it seems more and more common to find "young millionaires" in our generation. Even childhood stars who begin acting before they know how to drive seem like they already have achieved ultimate fame and greatness. This can be quite discouraging for the rest of us who are still figuring out how to budget their caffeine addiction (just me?).
We often see our role models as people who had success thrust upon them at a young age but never really understand their timeline of success. Get ready to be encouraged AF because you are about to see some of the most successful and well-known actors and businessmen and women who didn't achieve success until much later in life.
Like a fine wine
Can you even really appreciate success when you're young? Like a fine wine, success tastes sweeter when it has taken some time. Not every actor got started on Disney Channel as a kid and not every successful entrepreneur's first idea was their best idea.Stan Lee
The beloved comic book creator, who you can find cameos of in Marvel movies, didn't catch his big break until he was almost 40 years old. His first comic book hit was The Fantastic Four and well, you know the classics after that.Vera Wang
The famous fashion designer had a few careers before she found the one that she truly loved and loved her right back. Before she was making runway outfits and stunning wedding dresses, she was a figure skater and a journalist. Is there anything this woman can't do? Vera Wang was 40 when she finally entered into the fashion industry, and aren't we all forever thankful for that?Susan Boyle
This is the woman who stole your heart on Britain's Got Talent in 2009. She was 47 when she auditioned and left even Simon Cowell stunned and amazed with her beautiful singing voice. She went on to sing all over the world and prove to everyone, no matter your age, it's never too late to be a star and chase your dreams.Seriously, her audition is amazing...
You have to watch her audition. Really. It is truly inspiring. She is just a confident, sassy woman and completely shocks the audience and crushes her performance.Samuel L. Jackson
I can't imagine the film industry existing without Samuel L. Jackson's talent and creativity, but it wasn't until he was 46 years old that he finally got a starring role in Spike Lee's movie Jungle Fever. He later went on to be in hit movies such as Die Hard With a Vengeance, Star Wars, Pulp Fiction, and Django Unchained, just to name a few.Alan Rickman
Most of us know and love him as he famously played the role of Snape in the Harry Potter films, but it wasn't until he was 41 when he landed the role in his first movie Die Hard with Bruce Willis. He died in 2016 at the age of 69 and forever left his mark not just on Harry Potter fans, but the film industry as a whole.Henry Ford
Most people get ahead during the time that others waste. - Henry Ford via @tim_fargo #quote https://t.co/poz5338I4I— John Martin (@John Martin)1536270682.0
Charles Darwin
Does this name ring any bells? Think middle school science class and pictures of monkeys. Charles Darwin was 50 years old when he published "On the Origin of the Species"Â which shaped the subject of evolution forever. His discoveries and theories are still considered to be some of the most profound in the history of science.Julia Child
The famous chef turned her hobby into an amazing career, but it took her a while to get there. After working in media and advertising, she decided to try and learn to cook after moving to France. She published her first cookbook when she was 50 years old then later turned into a celebrity chef by having her own TV show. She became the first woman to be inducted into the Culinary Institute of America's Hall of Fame because she's a boss with an apron on.Tim and Nina Zagat
Tim and Nina Zagat were both 51year-old lawyers when they published their first collection of restaurant reviews un… https://t.co/ylBiCTUOmx— New Shifts (@New Shifts)1479369608.0
Ray Kroc
In 2016 The Founder was released, a film retelling the incredible story of Ray Kroc who is known for founding McDonald's. He was 53 years old when he started working with restaurant owners and 59 when he bought his first McDonald's, and people are still lovin' it.Donald Fisher
Donald and his wife Doris founded The Gap when he was 41 years old. It's now just referred to as Gap and is a multi-million dollar franchise. All I can see in my head is its cheesy yet classic commercials of people twirling in jeans and white tee shirts or polos smiling way too big. But thank you to Doris and Donald for selling me a good, reliable pair of jeans.Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura is a boss and didn't let her age stop her from chasing her dreams of writing. She published her first book in 1932 when she was 65 years old. Little House became a hit for children. She turned her books into a series which were later used as the storyline for the beloved Little House on the Prairie. Yeah, she's a big deal.Harland Sanders
Okay I owe this man a lot. Harland Sanders is famous for creating Kentucky Fried Chicken. He was 62 years old when he franchised KFC and our lives were never the same. Can you imagine how weird it would look if Colonel Sanders was a 20 something man on the bucket of your chicken wings? He needed that beautiful white hair as the face of this fantastic fried franchise.Anna Mary Robertson Moses
Happy Birthday, Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as Grandma Moses! The celebrated American folk painter took… https://t.co/vduPZDSFkf— Utrecht Art Supplies (@Utrecht Art Supplies)1536350260.0
Harry Bernstein
"My 90's were the most productive years of my life" Harry Bernstein #inspiration http://t.co/XzqHXIcJM3— Nathalie Priem (@Nathalie Priem)1401089486.0
Sam Walton
"There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply b… https://t.co/hfhO1OrdNc— Intelligent Fanatics (@Intelligent Fanatics)1533203911.0