It might seem like there's very little left about Oprah Winfrey's wife that isn't public knowledge, but her route to Tennessee State University might surprise you. She came from an exceptionally poor family; she remembers that she used to have to wear potato sack dresses as a child occasionally. The prospect of her family being able to support her going to university was highly unlikely. So, she did what she has always done best - talked.
Winfrey entered, and won, an oratory contest. The prize was full scholarship to Tennessee State University. She didn't waste the opportunity. Majoring in communication, she raised her profile locally when she won the Miss Black Tennessee Beauty Pageant at the age of seventeen. That was enough to get her noticed by local radio station WVOL, who hired her part time to read the news. Her style made her popular with listeners, and she never looked back.
To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.
At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.
David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.
15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.
The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.