Spanx Founder Sara Blakely Is Youngest Woman On Forbes Billionaires List (VIDEO)

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On Wednesday, Sara Blakely, 41-year-old founder of Spanx, has become the youngest female self-made billionaire to make it on the Forbes Magazine Billionaires List.

According to Forbes, Spanx is valued at an average $1 billion which puts Blakely, owner of 100% of the company, at 1,153 out of 1,226 on the Billionaires List.

Spanx is an undergarment shapewear company that was founded by Blakely in 2000. Blakely started her company with $5,000 from her savings and eventually began selling her products in major department stores. In 2000, the company received a major marketing boost when Oprah Winfrey featured Spanx in her “favorite things” show.

Spanx has been mostly popularized by word of mouth and has never formally advertised. The company claims an estimated 20% of revenue of the shapewear sector, which is about $250 million in annual sales.