The Atlanta woman who invented Spanx is officially a billionaire

I'm ambivalent about Spanx. On the one hand, they represent a woman's need to conform in a society that tells her that her thighs are too big and her gut sticks out too far. On the other hand, they've made lots of women feel better about the way they look in clothes and that's great. Women should feel great about the way they look, and if it takes a glorified girdle, more power to 'em.

Also, more power to Sara Blakely, the 41-year-old Atlanta woman who created Spanx and is now a billionaire as a result. Sorry, "the youngest female self-made billionaire in the world." (And the youngest-looking 41-year-old in the world.)

From Forbes:
Sara Blakely was 29 when she invested her entire life savings, $5,000, trying to come up with something flattering to wear under her white slacks. Six months later, the one-time Disney World ride greeter and door-to-door fax machine salesperson found her new line of shaping underwear, Spanx, named one of Oprah Winfrey's Favorite Things. Since then, Blakely has taken Spanx from a one-product wonder sold out of her Atlanta apartment to a billion-dollar powerhouse with just under $250 million in annual revenues and net profit margins estimated at 20%. She owns 100% of the private company, has never advertised and never taken outside investment. Blakely turned 41 in February, making her the youngest female self-made billionaire in the world.

Again, Happy International Women's Day.