The 11 richest self-made women in America, ranked
11. Elaine Wynn has a net worth of $2.4 billion.
10. The universally recognizable Oprah Winfrey is worth $2.6 billion.
Net worth: $2.6 billion
Source of wealth: Television, media
Self-made score: 10
Age: 65
Oprah Winfrey, the media mogul, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, embodies the purest definition of "self-made;" she overcame a difficult childhood to become an Academy Award-nominated actress and the host of a nationally syndicated television show by age 32. She has launched a production company, a magazine, and even a television network. She is the only woman on this list in media.
Read more: In a surprise announcement, Oprah donated $1.15 million to help minority students pay for college
T9. Johnelle Hunt has a net worth of $2.7 billion thanks to a trucking company.
Net worth: $2.7 billion
Source of wealth: Trucking
Self-made score: 7
Age: 87
Johnelle Hunt cofounded the J.B. Hunt Company in the 1960s with her late husband. Since his death in 2006, she has further developed Hunt Ventures, looking beyond the trucking industry and exploring real-estate and development.
T9. Doris Fisher, the founder of Gap, has a net worth of $2.7 billion.
Net worth: $2.7 billion
Source of wealth: Clothing, retail
Self-made score: 7
Age: 88
Doris Fisher and her late husband founded clothing retailer Gap in San Francisco in 1969. She served as Gap's merchandiser from 1969 to 2003 and was an active board member until 2009. As The Wall Street Journal's Mary M. Lane reported in 2015, Fisher has amassed an impressive art collection featuring pieces from iconic artists like Roy Lichtenstein.
7. Lynda Resnick, the woman behind Pom Wonderful and Fiji Water, is worth $2.8 billion.
Net worth: $2.8 billion
Source of wealth: Agriculture
Self-made score: 8
Age: 76
Lynda Resnick owns the Wonderful Company with her husband. She runs the global marketing and product development for the brands, which include Pom Wonderful, Wonderful Pistachios, and Fiji Water. She has served on the board of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art and has donated millions to climate change research.
6. Judy Love, of Love's gas stations, has a net worth $2.9 billion.
Net worth: $2.9 billion
Source of wealth: Gas stations, retail
Self-made score: 9
Age: 82
Judy Love founded Love's Travel Stops and County Stores with her husband in Oklahoma in 1964 after leasing just one gas station. Now, the Loves have stores in 41 states. The couple has established an entrepreneurial center at Oklahoma City University as well as a cancer institute at St. Anthony Hospital.
5. Thai Lee, who helms IT provider SHI International, is worth $3 billion.
Net worth: $3 billion
Source of wealth: IT
Self-made score: 9
Age: 60
IT provider SHI International's President and CEO, Thai Lee, was born in Bangkok but studied in the US. She and her then-husband bought the brand in 1989 for $1 million and flipped it into a $10 billion global provider. At 60, she is the youngest woman on this list.
4. Judy Faulkner digitized medical records and is now worth $3.6 billion.
Net worth: $3.6 billion
Source of wealth: Medical software
Self-made score: 8
Age: 76
Judy Faulkner, the CEO of Epic, started the medical-record software provider in 1979 in a basement in Wisconsin. Now, the software is so prevalent that more than 250 million patients have an electronic medical record in the system. Faulkner has signed the Giving Pledge, meaning that she intends to donate the majority of her wealth to charity during her lifetime or in her will.
Read more: Epic CEO Judy Faulkner Say Would Never Consider Buyout Offer From Apple
3. The Little Caesars Pizza cofounder, Marian Ilitch, has a net worth of $3.7 billion.
Net worth: $3.7 billion
Source of wealth: Food, entertainment
Self-made score: 9
Age: 86
Marian Ilitch, a first-generation American, founded Little Caesars with her late husband in 1959. The pizza chain giant has restaurants in 50 states and its success allowed Ilitch to try her entrepreneurial hand in other industries; she owns the Detroit Red Wings hockey team and Detroit's MotorCity Hotel and Casino.
2. Meg Whitman is worth $3.8 billion.
Net worth: $3.8 billion
Source of wealth: Technology
Self-made score: 6
Age: 63
Meg Whitman got her start at P&G before moving on to Hasbro and then becoming the CEO of eBay. When she joined in 1998, eBay had 30 employees and $4 million in revenue. When she left in 2008, it had about 15,000 employees and $8 billion in revenue. Whitman then became the CEO of Hewlett Packard and oversaw its 2015 split into two companies. Now, she is the CEO of Quibi, a streaming video startup created by DreamWorks' cofounder.
Whitman's self-made score of 6 highlights that she is the only woman on this list who is a "hired or hands-off investor who didn't create the business" from which she profits.
1. Diane Hendricks is worth $7 billion.
Net worth: $7 billion
Source of wealth: Roofing
Self-made score: 9
Age: 72
Diane Hendricks made her fortune by founding wholesale roofing distributor ABC Supply in 1982 with her husband. She has been at the helm of the company since his death in 2007 and used her wealth to revitalize Beloit, Wisconsin, where the company is based.
While she might be the richest self-made woman by a margin of $3.2 billion, she is only the 14th-richest woman in America. The women she trails all inherited their fortunes, showcasing the trend of "dynastic wealth."
Popular Right Now
Popular Keywords
Advertisement