Inventing a public persona for fun and profit is a tradition in America (I can't speak for other countries.) I read a really good book on the topic many years ago: "Inventing Mark Twain: The Lives of Samuel Langhorne Clemens." I should read it again, because it was very interesting. Ben Franklin was another one from humble beginnings that turned himself into a world renown Parisian diplomat and inventor, among many other things.
Edit: my favorite story of self-reinvention is the story of Korla Pandit. I love it because it's something I would have done.