Being a self-made billionaire seems to be a trending discussion after the fiasco that ensued when Forbes put Kylie Jenner on their cover and proclaimed her the youngest self-made billionaire.
The acclaimed magazine later retracted their statement after they accused Jenner of lying and bloating her initial earnings.
According to US official data, the fortunes of the nation’s richest self-made women soared 31% in 2021 to $118 billion (R1.49 trillion) amid a stock market boom. A record 26 are now billionaires, including pop star Rihanna and 23andMe’s Anne Wojcicki.
But who are the richest self-made billionaires in the US? The billionaires, who stay away from the media and its scrutiny.
TITANS
Diane Hendricks
Net worth: $11 billion (R164 billion)
Hendricks is officially the United States’s richest self-made billionaire. She currently chairs ABC Supply, one of the largest wholesale distributors of roofing, siding and windows in the US.
The company was created by Hendricks and her late husband Ken in 1982. She has been running the business since 2007, when he died.
Judy Faulkner
Net worth: $6.5 billion (R98.6 billion)
Faulkner founded medical-record software provider Epic in 1979. She is still the CEO of the company to date, and according to company filings, Epic made $3.3 billion in 2020 and has over 10 000 employees.
It should be noted that Epic has never raised venture capital and develops all its software in-house.
Meg Whitman
Net Worth: $6.2 billion (R92.7 billion)
Meg Whitman is currently the CEO of Quibi, a short form video platform that was launched in 2020. She has been a titan in business since she led eBay from $5.7 million to $8 billion in sales as CEO from 1998 to 2008.
Whitman was also the CEO of Hewlett-Packard from 2011 to 2015.
PERSONAL FINANCE