5. Kitty Fisher became famous for being famous
Kitty Fisher was a courtesan in London in the mid-eighteenth century who became famous throughout Europe simply for being herself. She was not an actress, nor did she sing professionally, nor was she of noble blood. She became wealthy through the conduct of multiple affairs with wealthy men, and she made sure that she received jewels, furs, a fabulous wardrobe, and cash, for her part in them. Eventually she married a Member of Parliament who owned a landed estate, though she died just a few months after her marriage at the age of either 25 or 26. She was one of the earliest celebrities whose fame was based solely on her self-promotion.