From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishgolden boy/girlgolden boy/girlSUCCESSFULsomeone who is popular and successful Hollywood’s golden girl, Julia Roberts → golden
Examples from the Corpus
golden boy/girl• She's Hollywood's current golden girl.• Even without mistakes, the halo effect eventually wears off when some one else emerges as the new golden girl.• First full season for Formula One's new golden boy.• They are golden boys, about 17 or 18, and apparently weightless.• So golden boy had flipped - this week?• Completing the trio of golden girls is Millicent Martin - it's a formidable combination.• From the very beginning, Tordella was the golden boy of the Puzzle Palace.• Ratner is not a fallen golden boy of the Thatcher era, nor a victim of his own jokes.• Terms such as thought leader, golden boy, or winner refer to people with a power base of reputation. 