In 2019, Kylie Jenner was named the world’s youngest self-made billionaire by Forbes but a lot of fans had an issue with that title. Not only did the financials end up being a little off, but many people thought “self-made” wasn’t an accurate title for Kylie, who grew up with immense wealth and privilege. Fans shared that it probably wouldn’t have been possible for Kylie to start her business on her own if she had not had the platform her family provided. 

Kylie later responded to critics, explaining that her parents “cut her off at the age of 15” so she had no financial assistance in starting her business. 

“My parents told me I needed to make my own money, it’s time to learn how to save and spend your own money, stuff like that. What I’m trying to say is I did have a platform, but none of my money is inherited,” Kylie told Paper Magazine.

It’s 100% easier to be succesful when you’re a Kardashian…but that seemed to have slipped Kim’s mind when she dished out some advice to working women. Despite the fact that Kim was born into a wealthy, well connected family and skyrocketed to fame thanks to reality TV, she explained that she thought the problem with people in business was that no one wanted to work.

“Get your fucking ass up and work. It seems like nobody wants to work these days. You have to surround yourself with people that want to work and have a good work environment where everyone loves what they do,” Kim told Variety. 

And while it’s true that you have to work hard to reap the benefits, it’s definitely not as simple as that for people who aren’t born into wealth and fame. Kim faced backlash from viewers who called her out for ignoring her upbringing’s role in her success and how many people do work hard but aren’t fairly financially compensated.

Back in 2010, the Kardashians launched the Kardashian Kard, a short-lived prepaid debit card, so that fans could live a live of luxury similar to the family. Unfortunately, the card ended up having some exorbitant fees including a $100 a year membership and fees for ATM withdrawals, cancellations and talking with a phone operator. 

The family seemed to have missed the memo that not everyone could afford those kind of fees for a debit card and the Connecticut Attorney General even accused the family of unfairly targeting financially unsophisticated young adults. It took less than a month for the whole thing to get shut down.

Back when the Kardashian sisters each had their own apps, they employed a staff that contributed content to the platforms. Unfortunately, the employees were reportedly severely underpaid while Kim, Khloé, and Kourtney were bringing in massive amounts of money. 

Years later, a former employee took to Twitter to reveal how she had been treated while working at the app and her life was a stark contrast to the lives of the Kardashians. 

“I was an editor on the Kardashian apps in 2015 in LA, worked days nights & weekends, could only afford groceries from the 99 Cents Only Store, called out ‘sick’ more than once bc I couldn’t put gas in my car to get to the office, & was reprimanded for freelancing on the side,” Jessica DeFino wrote on Twitter.

There’s no doubt that Kendall works hard as a model but she raised some eyebrows when she shared conflicting statements about the origins of her modeling career. While Kendall said she “did everything she was supposed to do” to get to her current position in the industry, there’s no denying the fact that her family’s status played a big role in propelling her to be one of the most famous models in the world. 

In fact, elsewhere in the interview Kendall explained that when she was 14, she presented a homemade modeling book to her mom and then “she did her Kris Jenner thing and made it all come to life.”

Khloé’s Good American jeans can be expensive, but just how pricey they are didn’t really seem to set in for her until she got backlash for a social media interaction with a fan. When the fan tweeted they had to work 20 hours just to buy a pair, Khloé actually responded by saying it was “so cute” that the fan wanted to pick up extra shifts in order to afford the merchandise. 

Social media users weren’t happy to hear that someone as rich as Khloé thought it was “cute” for someone to work that hard just to afford a pair of jeans. They immediately let her know her response made her sound insensitive and tone deaf — and it actually made a difference. Khloé later ended up sending the fan a package filled with Good American items.