The term ‘self-made women billionaires’ captures everyone’s imagination. People are always fascinated with the idea of becoming successful in whatever their field may be and finding a way to turn that into a considerable fortune. While oftentimes, plenty of hard work is involved, some have simply spotted a business opportunity and risen to the top faster than others.
In America, some of the wealthiest and most influential entrepreneurs are women. From tech entrepreneurs to business moguls, the US is full of inspiring female billionaires. Here, we explore some of the richest self-made women in the US and the businesses that earned them billions.
Oprah Winfrey
The undisputed queen of America’s billionaires is the media mogul Oprah Winfrey with a net worth of approx. 8.3bn USD according to Forbes. Oprah made her fortune through her late-night talk show and a successful production company. She was born into poverty, but worked hard and started her media career at just 19.
Other Business Ventures
In addition to her media empire, Oprah is also involved in several other businesses such as Oprah Magazine and the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). She’s an investor in Weight Watchers, a contributing stakeholder in The Secret Life of Bees, and the author of several books.
Diane Hendricks
Coming in at second place is construction materials entrepreneur Diane Hendricks, with a net worth of almost 7bn USD according to a Forbes report. She is the co-founder of ABC Supply Co., a wholesaler of home improvement products.
Forbes reports that Hendricks made her fortune by investing in properties and stocks before establishing ABC Supply with her then-husband Ken in 1982. The pair benefited from the US housing boom of the 1980s and since then, they have grown the business to become the largest supplier of roofing materials in America.
Judy Faulkner
Judy Faulkner, the CEO and founder of the healthcare software company Epic Systems, is the third-richest self-made American female billionaire, with a net worth of approx. 6.6bn USD according to Forbes.
Faulkner was a computer science major at the University of Wisconsin and her passion for coding is what drove her to start her own business in 1979. Her business has since grown to become one of the biggest private healthcare companies in the world, providing cutting-edge technology to health care providers and hospitals.
Yang Huiyan
The fourth spot is held by Yang Huiyan, a Chinese-born businesswoman and majority shareholder of Country Garden Holdings, the real estate company founded by her father Yeung Kwok Keung. According to a Forbes report, Huiyan’s net worth is approx. 7.1bn USD.
Huiyan inherited the majority of the company’s shares when her father listed the company on the Hong Kong stock exchange in 2007. Since then, Country Garden has grown to become one of the biggest property developers in China.
Elizabeth Stringer Keefe
Elizabeth Stringer Keefe of the S.C. Johnson & Son family is the fifth-richest American female billionaire with a net worth of approx. 4.5bn USD according to a Forbes report.
Keefe is the daughter of Samuel Curtis Johnson and the great-granddaughter of the founder of the family-owned cleaning products company. Keefe was chairman and CEO of the company from 2004 to 2016 and has since been serving as its director.
Lynda Resnick
Lynda Resnick, the co-owner of a leading agricultural company The Wonderful Company, is the sixth-richest American female billionaire with a net worth of approx. 4.4bn USD according to Forbes.
Resnick co-founded the company with her husband Stewart and the pair have grown it to become the world’s largest producer of pistachios. The Wonderful Company produces numerous products, from POM Wonderful juices to Fiji Water. The company also owns a number of other businesses such as Halo Top ice cream and Halos mandarin oranges.
Meg Whitman
Next is Meg Whitman, with a net worth of approx. 4.2bn USD according to a Forbes report. Whitman was the CEO and president of the tech company Hewlett Packard and is currently the CEO of the e-commerce company Quibi.
In addition to her tech career, Whitman is an investor in several projects and serves on the boards of companies such as Dropbox, Expedia, and Glu Mobile.
These seven self-made American women have proven, time and time again, that financial independence can be gained through sheer hard work and dedication. Among them, the media mogul Oprah Winfrey heads the list, followed by Diane Hendricks, Judy Faulkner, Yang Huiyan, Elizabeth Stringer Keefe, Lynda Resnick, and Meg Whitman. All of them have tremendous determination and have either found a business opportunity or built their wealth through smart investments.
They have all made a huge impact in their respective fields, showing that not only is it possible to make it big even without much of a start, but also that women can and do succeed in the business world.
