But for Suze Orman, it has been a long and hard struggle to climb to the top – and at the age of 62, she now admits: ‘After 62 years of life and probably more failures for many of those years than successes, you learn from the school of hard knocks.

While working as a waitress at the Buttercup Bakery in Berkley, California, and living with a girlfriend in the back of a van, Suze was given a break aged 30 in 1980 when a group of regular customers pooled together and gave her ,000 to open her own restaurant.

In 1983, she became a vice president of retail customer investments at Prudential Bache Securities.

In 1987, she founded the Suze Orman Financial Group.

Well, you know, the one reason that up until now that, you know, you haven’t seen a lot about my personal life is because I didn’t want anything to get in the trouble or in the way of money.

And I didn’t want people’s minds to be troubled by the fact that — you know, that I’m gay and I’ve been with [her wife] KT now for 11 years.

She now hobnobs with the New York elite - and is seen on the left at a 2011 Friars Club Testimonial dinner for Larry King, and on the right, with girlfriend Kathy Travis at the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in 2009Hired at Merill Lynch without any experience, Suze said: ‘What was wonderful is that I didn't care what they told me, that I couldn't make it.

After paying the bills and putting away for retirement, I think you should be entitled to an equal share of any household income left over at the end of each month. That's an important distinction many couples fail to honor.

Just because one of you earns the paycheck doesn't mean that person should lord over how the money is handled.

It was explained to her that because her broker was the highest producing representative in the office, his actions went unchecked.

While still employed at the firm, she successfully sued Merrill Lynch for a prior investment loss of ,000.