Here are the 10 richest healthcare and biotech execs
Forbes just released its annual ranking of the top billionaires and several healthcare executives and investors made the cut.
After all, curing diseases can be highly profitable.
Here are the top 10 richest billionaires with healthcare ventures.
1. Dilip Shanghvi
Net worth: $12.8 billion
Home country: India
Dilip Shanghvi started Sun Pharma in 1983. Though the company had some up and downs with FDA approvals and standards for its drugs, the company said last August that it was on track to gain $300 million from a deal with Ranbaxy.
2. Seo Jung-jin
Net worth: $11.9 billion
Home country: South Korea
Seo Jung-jin co-founded and now is the CEO of Celltrion, a biopharmaceutical company which develops drugs to treat cancer, influenza and rheumatoid arthritis, among others. The company is also known for making biosimilars and has recently partnered with Teva to develop migraine drugs.
3. Thomas Frist Jr.
Net worth: $9.6 billion
Home country: USA
Thomas Frist Jr. and his father founded Hospital Corporation of America in 1968. HCA, in addition to having hospitals and surgery centers, also has several subsidiaries that branch out into different healthcare businesses.
4. Cyrus Poonawalla
Net worth: $9.1 billion
Home country: India
Cyrus Poonawallae founded Serum Institute of India in 1966, which is now one of the world's largest vaccine makers.
5. Ernesto Bertarelli
Net worth: $8.9 billion
Home country: Switzerland
Ernesto Bertarelli inherited biotech giant Serono in 1998, which makes the drug Rebif to treat multiple sclerosis and is now owned by Merck.
6. Carl Cook
Net worth: $8 billion
Home country: USA
Carl Cook is the CEO of medical device manufacturer Cook Group, which makes things like filters, catheters and stents.
7. Massimiliana Landini Aleotti
Net worth: $7.9 billion
Home country: Italy
Massimiliana Landini Aleotti inherited pharma giant Menarini from her late husband in 2014, and it is now one of Italy's leading drug companies. The company does drug research in the areas of cancer, analgesia, and gastro-intestinal conditions.
8. Patrick Soon-Shiong
Net worth: $7.8 billion
Home country: USA
Patrick Soon-Shiong invented the pancreatic cancer drug Abraxane, which became a blockbuster drug. He now owns a series of health and biotech startups like NantHealth, NantKwest, and NantWorks. He also owns the Los Angeles Times.
9. Sun Piaoyang
Net worth: $7.7 billion
Home country: China
Sun Piaoyang turned formerly state-led Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine into one of China's largest producers of anti-infection and cancer drugs.
10. Frederik Paulsen
Net worth: $7.3 billion
Home country: Sweden
Frederik Paulsen inherited small drugmaker Ferring Pharmaceuticals in 1983, which makes infertility, obstetrics, urology, gastroenterology and endocrinology drugs. The company recently made a heat-stable drug that could prevent excessive bleeding in women after childbirth.