About
Martha Stewart, born Martha Helen Kostyra on August 3, 1941, in Jersey City, grew up in Nutley, New Jersey. A Barnard College graduate in history, she worked as a stockbroker before launching a catering business in 1976. Her first book, *Entertaining*, published in 1982, launched her career as a lifestyle author. She founded *Martha Stewart Living* magazine in 1990 and hosted a successful TV show. In 1999, she became America's first self-made female billionaire. After a 2004 conviction for obstruction of justice, she served prison time, then revived her career. She opened a restaurant in 2022 and appeared on the cover of *Sports Illustrated* in 2023 at age 81.
* 1941-08-03
Major works
- Entertaining (1982)cookbook and lifestyle book
- Martha Stewart Living (1990)magazine
- Martha Stewart Living (TV series) (1993)television series
- Martha Bakes (2011)television series
- Martha & Snoop's Potluck Party Challenge (2016)television series
Key milestones
- 1999Becomes America's first self-made female billionaire after the IPO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
- 2004Convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and making false statements in the ImClone insider trading case; served five months in federal prison.
- 2023Appears on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue at age 81, becoming the oldest person to do so.
Themes
LifestyleCookingGardeningEntrepreneurshipResilience
Sources: marthastewart.com · britannica.com