Buzz
Regardless of the critics who belittle the wealthy teenage generation in Hollywood and music, there are some undeniable aspects that make you respect kids who achieve success the traditional way: through hard work. Most of them aren't in the spotlight, didn't inherit money or privilege, and didn’t have sponsorships waiting for them. What they did have, however, was a vision, paired with an unrelenting drive to make it a reality.
10. Fraser Doherty: The Jam Entrepreneur
At just 14 years old, Fraser Doherty began making homemade jam using his grandmother’s recipes in Edinburgh, Scotland. By the age of 16, he had successfully modified the recipes and rebranded them as 'SuperJam,' quickly creating high demand for his product. His success led him to drop out of school to focus on his business full time. In 2007, a major supermarket chain in the UK reached out, offering to sell his product in all of their 184 stores. To meet the growing demand, Doherty secured a $9,000 loan from a local bank to increase production, and by 2009, he had reached $1.2 million in sales. Additionally, he published 'The Superjam Cookbook,' available for purchase on Amazon.
"I don't focus on the money," he explains. "I make jam because it’s my passion. Success is nice, but it’s not everything."
9. Ashley Qualls: The Layout Mogul
At the age of 14 in 2004, Ashley Qualls created WhateverLife.com to showcase her design skills after a few years of learning HTML. The site initially had little traffic, but things took off when she started offering free custom Myspace layouts to her classmates. By 2005, with only word-of-mouth as advertising, the site saw a surge in visitors eager to personalize their social media pages. That was when she joined Google’s Adsense program, which allowed ads on her site and paid her a portion of the revenue generated by clicks.
As her site’s traffic grew, she began accepting advertising offers from various companies in exchange for payment. In 2005, an undisclosed buyer even proposed to purchase her site for $1.5 million and a car valued up to $100,000. She declined, choosing to continue managing her site, which had only cost her $8 to purchase the domain name.
WhateverLife.com now attracts around seven million visitors every month and continues to generate millions for Ashley through advertising revenue. In 2006, she bought herself a $250,000 home in Southgate, Michigan.
8. Cameron Johnson: The Greeting Card Mogul
When Cameron Johnson’s parents asked him to design invitations for an upcoming holiday party, he likely didn’t foresee how this would shape his future. People in his neighborhood were so impressed with his work that they started offering him money for other design projects. By the time he was 11, Cameron had already earned several thousand dollars with 'Cheers And Tears,' his own line of custom greeting cards.
Eager to keep the momentum going, Cameron used the money he made from greeting cards to launch his first online venture, SurfingPrizes.com. The pay-per-ad toolbar service was a massive success, bringing in $300,000–400,000 per month. By the time he graduated high school, Cameron’s net worth had reached an estimated $1 million. At 19, he sold the company’s name and software but kept the customer database, leaving doors open for future business ventures.
7. Julieth Brindak: The ‘Miss O’ Wealth
At the age of 10, Julieth Brindak began sketching a set of imaginary characters she called “cool girls,” with the lead character being 'Miss O.' When she turned 16, Julieth launched 'Miss O & Friends,' a social networking site for tweens, inspired by her early sketches. With her parents’ support, who contributed their graphic and business expertise, the site quickly gained popularity, drawing hundreds of thousands of tween visitors.
'Miss O & Friends' generates revenue for Julieth through advertising and was ranked the third largest girls-only website in 2011 by *Inc. Magazine*. The site now attracts 10 million unique visitors per month, is valued at approximately $15 million, and relies primarily on word-of-mouth with minimal advertising. As part of her giving-back initiative, Julieth also formed a partnership with Simon & Schuster, offering teens the chance to win concert tickets to events by stars like Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift.
6. David and Catherine Cook: The Yearbook Fortune
Siblings David and Catherine Cook became teen millionaires by creating an online version of the classic high school yearbook with *MyYearbook.com*. After moving to Skillman, New Jersey when Catherine was 14, she and David began flipping through their new school's local yearbook, trying to recognize any familiar faces.
“We were stunned by how irrelevant the information was. That’s when we came up with the idea of putting the entire thing online. I’d always admired my brother Geoff. He’s 11 years older than me and had already launched a successful startup. I thought, if he could do it, so could I,” she recalled.
Encouraged by the idea, their older brother Geoff invested $250,000 into their start-up, and the siblings launched the website. Marketing it as the 'Myspace for high school,' they attracted approximately 950,000 members in just the first year. Since then, their site has evolved into a business valued at around $100 million, with Geoff now serving as CEO. The siblings are exploring ways to expand their brand globally.
5. Sean Belnick: The Chair Entrepreneur
At 14, Sean Belnick became fascinated with the idea of selling products online, so much so that he created his own website for the purpose. With a modest startup budget of $500 for advertising and $100 for web hosting, he began selling small items like Pokemon cards to familiarize himself with e-commerce. Soon after, he pivoted to selling office furniture on his newly established site, Bizchair.com—a decision that led to an estimated $24 million in earnings by the time he turned 20.
When asked if he believed entrepreneurship ran in his veins, Sean responded, “You need a drive to succeed and a willingness to take risks to get there—it’s not for everyone. I enjoy the thrill and potential for growth, as well as watching the business flourish. You have to aim high.”
Now, Sean employs over 75 people and is setting his sights on hitting the $50 million milestone.
4. Nick D’Aloisio: The Smartphone Tycoon
At just 17, Nick D’Aloisio made waves on the internet when it was revealed that Yahoo had acquired a smartphone app he created in his free time for a staggering $30 million. The Wimbledon school student taught himself coding at the age of 12—a skill that paid off when his news app caught Yahoo’s eye. Nick shared his advice for aspiring developers, saying, “If you have a great idea or see a gap in the market, just go ahead and launch it. There are investors all over the world looking to invest in the right companies.”
3. John Koon: The Fashion Mogul
John Koon embodies the essence of the American entrepreneur. Starting with his first auto parts business in New York City, he was making millions by the age of 16 with Extreme Performance Motorsports, a company that became a key supplier for MTV’s *Pimp My Ride*. Not content to stay in the auto industry, he ventured into fashion and co-founded a clothing line with rapper Young Jeezy. Koon earned an impressive $40 million and is reportedly on the fast track to becoming a billionaire.
His latest project features the groundbreaking launch of the first-ever Asian streetwear couture brand, focusing on Japanese denim, rare indigo dyes, and revolutionary secret wash formulas for clothing.
2. Tyler Dikman: The Tech Mogul
Tyler Dikman began his entrepreneurial journey the same way many kids do—by mowing lawns, running lemonade stands, and babysitting. He even performed magic shows for birthday parties, charging around $25 for a 30-minute performance. At 10, he got his first computer, a Gateway, and took it apart to learn the inner workings. By eighth grade, he was repairing computers for his teachers, realizing he could charge others for repairs. It wasn’t long before he started charging $15 per hour.
Tyler later got a babysitting job with Malcolm Taaffe, the Vice President of Merrill Lynch. This led to an internship and eventually a full-time job within two weeks. He was responsible for computer acquisition, setup, training, and troubleshooting. At 15, Tyler launched Cooltronics, a computer repair business that he initially ran as a hobby. By hiring friends as employees and putting in long hours, he expanded the company into a full-service business that sells, delivers, and sets up PCs for customers. Recognized by *Businessweek* as one of the top 25 entrepreneurs under 25, his company now generates millions in annual sales.
1. Adam Horwitz: Mobile Monopolist
Driven by a goal to build a million-dollar business by the time he turned 21, Adam Horwitz embarked on launching several start-up websites at just 15. While many of his ventures initially failed, he eventually struck gold with Mobile Monopoly, an app designed to teach users how to profit from mobile market leads. The app’s success brought in six figures in sales, which Adam used to fund his next project, YepText, a text advertising service aimed at businesses.
He offers the following advice for aspiring app developers: “If someone says, ‘There’s no way, you’ll never make money online, everything’s a scam online, blah blah blah,’ they’re lying. You don’t have to listen to what other people say—trust me, I went through that day-in and day-out with my friends and stuff. They did not believe that I could make money online, and then as soon as I did, I think their jaws dropped to the ground. So just go for it!”
