The leveraging of a giant social-media presence, a song about sharks and a collection of junkyards are just a few of the curious ways that helped make 2019 a fertile year for fortunes to blossom around the world.
Kylie Jenner became the youngest self-made billionaire this year after her company, Kylie Cosmetics, signed an exclusive partnership with Ulta Beauty Inc. She then sold a 51 percent stake for $600 million.
It has been two months since the Washington Nationals captured their first World Series championship, but people around the world are still singing along to the baseball team's adopted rallying cry, "Baby Shark, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo." The South Korean family that helped popularize the earworm is now worth about $125 million.