J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling was born in 1965 in Yate, England. J.K. Rowling's background is described as English. Growing up, the family was middle class — aircraft-engineer father at Rolls-Royce, science-technician mother. Wrote the first Harry Potter as a single mother on state benefits; twelve publishers rejected it.

Born

1965 · Yate, England

Roots

English

Family

Middle class

Aircraft-engineer father at Rolls-Royce, science-technician mother.

Education

University of Exeter (French and classics)

Started with

£2,500 advance

Bloomsbury's advance in 1996, while she lived on benefits of roughly £70 a week.

Affiliations & societies

None documented.

Information only — claims like these are often unverifiable and may be wrong.

The pathway

1. 1990 · age 24
   The idea on a delayed train

   Manchester to London; her mother dies at the end of the same year.

2. 1993 · age 28
   Single mother in Edinburgh

   On state benefits after a marriage in Portugal ends; writes in cafés while her daughter sleeps.

3. 1996 · age 30
   Twelve rejections, then a yes£2,500

   Bloomsbury signs the book after the chairman's eight-year-old daughter asks for the rest; she is advised to keep a day job.

4. 1997 · age 31
   Philosopher's Stone published$105K

   US rights sell at auction for an unusually high sum for a children's debut.

5. 2004 · age 38
   Billionaire status$1B

   Per Forbes — described as the first author to reach it.

6. 2012 · age 46
   Off the billionaire list

   Forbes attributes the drop to charitable giving and UK taxes.