Tim Cook and Giorgio Armani are worth billions.Steve Granitz & Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty
- There are a few LGBTQ people in the world who are billionaires and millionaires.
- DreamWorks' co-founder David Geffen and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel are worth over $5 billion.
- Giorgio Armani's is worth $8.9 billion, while Michael Kors is worth $600 million.
While the elite group of billionaires and millionaires lacks diversity, some members of the LGBTQ community have managed to break through.
People who identify as LGBTQ have earned net worths that near or exceed 10 figures by inheriting empires, building companies, or creating brands.
Here are 10 of the richest LGBTQ people in the world.
David Geffen, the co-founder of DreamWorks, is worth $9.9 billion, according to Forbes.
David Geffen.
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Fashion designer Giorgio Armani's fortune is about $8.9 billion.
Giorgio Armani.
Andreas Solaro/Contributor/Getty Images
Armani began his career in the military after leaving medical school. In the '70s, he started designing menswear clothing, but his career really took off when he started designing for Richard Gere in 1980. Since then, Armani's brand has expanded into an empire, which includes accessories, interior design, and hotels.
PayPal's co-founder Peter Thiel is worth $5.2 billion.
Peter Thiel.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
In 1999, Thiel co-founded PayPal, which was meant to be a simple way to exchange money via devices. He was CEO of the company up until eBay acquired PayPal, and his stake in the company was said to be worth $55 million. Thiel was also an early investor of Facebook, and he founded a data analytics company, Palantir, which is valued at $20 billion, according to Forbes.
He now lives with his husband, Matt Danzeisen, in Los Angeles.
Jon Stryker is an heir to a medical equipment company. Forbes reports his net worth at $4.4 billion.
Jon Stryker.
Credit: Bennett Raglin / Getty
Stryker's grandfather founded Stryker Corp., which is a medical supply company that sold $14.9 billion in equipment in 2019, according to Forbes. One of the heirs to the family fortune, Stryker is a philanthropist, donating large sums of his money to charities and scholarships. So far, he has given away $585 million.
Stryker also founded the Arcus Foundation, which fights for LGBTQ rights and ape conservation.
Fashion designer Domenico Dolce is worth $2 billion.
Domenico Dolce.
NurPhoto / Getty
After meeting in a club, Dolce and Stefano Gabbana started a fashion brand together in 1985. The company's signature animal print made waves at fashion events and even caught the attention of Madonna, solidifying Dolce & Gabbana's place in fashion history.
Jennifer Pritzker, a hotel heiress, is the only openly transgender billionaire in the world.
Jennifer Pritzker.
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In 2020, Apple CEO Tim Cook officially became a billionaire.
Tim Cook.
Richard Drew/AP
Cook became CEO of Apple in 2011 after the death of its founder, Steve Jobs. A decade later, the company is nearing a market value of nearly $2 trillion, making Cook a billionaire. Despite his billionaire status, he lives in a relatively cheap home in Palo Alto.
He came out as gay in 2014.
Fashion designer Michael Kors used to be worth $1 billion, but today, his fortune is estimated to be $600 million.
Michael Kors.
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Ellen DeGeneres' net worth is estimated at $370 million, according to Forbes.
Ellen DeGeneres.
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DeGeneres began her career as a standup comedian who eventually landed a successful sitcom titled "Ellen" in the late '90s. During that time, she came out as a lesbian, and she was blacklisted from Hollywood. In 2003, she made her return as a daytime talk show host — hers is still one of the most popular talk shows.
She's married to Portia de Rossi and they live in Los Angeles.
Elton John has been in the music industry for decades, earning a fortune near $500 million.
Elton John.
Associated Press/Julie Jacobson