Quick Info
| Profession | Businesswoman, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist |
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| Nationality | American |
| Date of Birth | 27/02/1971 |
| Age | 55 years |
| Birthplace | Clearwater, Florida, United States |
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Bio/Wiki
| Summary | American businesswoman and philanthropist who founded Spanx, a billion-dollar intimate apparel company, and later created the footwear brand Sneex in 2024. She became the world's youngest female self-made billionaire in 2012 and was recognized by Forbes as a Global Game Changer and by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world. |
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Family
| Full Name | Sara Treleaven Blakely |
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Career
| Early Career | Door-to-door fax machine salesperson at Danka |
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| Founding of Spanx | Founded Spanx in Atlanta, Georgia in 2000 with $5,000 in savings. Created footless body-slimming pantyhose. Sold over 50,000 pairs in first three months from her apartment. Product featured on Oprah Winfrey's Favorite Things list. Maintained 100% ownership by refusing outside funding and reinvesting all profits. |
| Other Ventures | Founded Sneex footwear brand in 2024 |
| Television | Cast member on The Rebel Billionaire: Branson's Quest for the Best, finishing as first runner-up and receiving $750,000 from Richard Branson |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Originally wanted footless bodyshaping pantyhose to wear with cream-colored pants and open-toed shoes, which inspired the creation of Spanx | |
| 2. Spanx revitalized the hosiery industry which had been in a 10-year slump | |
| 3. Received $750,000 from Richard Branson to start her foundation after appearing on The Rebel Billionaire | |
| 4. Met Nelson Mandela during her television appearances | |
| 5. Failed an audition for the part of Goofy at Disney's Orlando theme park early in her career | |
| 6. Hired a professional CEO to run Spanx so she could focus on sales and business development |