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19 billionaires who were once dirt poor

Jacquelyn Smith,Rachel Gillett,Áine CainOct 29, 2016, 21:41 IST

Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Not every billionaire was born with a silver spoon in their mouth.

In fact, many came from nothing at all.

The "rags-to-riches" trope may be a cliché, but it's one that's definitely grounded in reality.

Through extraordinary grit and perseverance, individuals across the globe have beat the odds and achieved their own rags-to-riches stories.

Here are 19 people who started off life poor and went on to become billionaires: