When Forbes Covered America’s Nine Richest Self-made Women!

Forbes has successfully completed a coup of sorts by getting not just one, but nine of America’s super-rich, self-made entrepreneurs to do a shoot all on one page.   

Forbes chose women entrepreneurs ranging from 32 to 69 years of age who are worth (combined) $ 9.7 billion! They also range from Harvard educated MBA's to community college dropouts. They are in diverse professions and encompass as wide a range as a Silicon Valley CEO, a supermodel-turned-mogul, and a billionaire inventor.

Combined, these nine women are worth $9.7 billion.

Come, let’s meet these amazing self-made women. 

Sara Blakely: Youngest of the 9; Net worth: $1 billion

Sara Blakely, a one-time door-to-door fax salesperson, founded Spanx, the company at age 29. She invested her $5,000 savings to come up with something to wear under white slacks. She still owns 100% of the $400 million (est. sales) company, which remains private despite persistent IPO rumours. In 2015 she became part-owner of the Atlanta Hawks basketball team. She is the youngest of the 9.

Sophia Amoruso: Millennial; Founder, Nasty Gal; Net worth: $280 million

Sophia Amoruso made her fortune with e-commerce retailer Nasty Gal, her own rock ‘n’ roll fashion company she started at age 22. At the time, it sold mostly vintage gear to a trendy young crowd. A decade later, Nasty Gal competes with the likes of H&M and ASOS; Forbes estimates revenues of $300 million, up from $100 million in 2012. Sophia also oversees a growing brand based on her bestselling memoir, #Girlboss, including a new podcast, #Girlboss Radio, and an upcoming autobiographical comedy series on Netflix. Following in Nasty Gal’s successful footsteps?!

Diane Hendricks: Net worth: $4.9 billion

“We brought distribution to the nation, to every roofer out there”. Hendricks co-founded the roofing company, ABC Supply with her husband, Kenneth in 1982. The distributor grew rapidly, fuelled by a string of acquisitions. When Ken died in 2007, Diane marched ahead, even daring to refuse offers of buyouts. Despite the financial crisis, Diane bought rival Bradco Supply in 2010. Sales more than doubled in the past decade to nearly $6 billion in 2015.

Kathy Ireland: Paper-delivery girl, supermodel turned mogul. Net worth: $360 million

Supermodel turned mogul Kathy Ireland built a licensing empire by lending her name, the fame and exquisite taste to more than 17,000 products including a line of handbags available at T.J. Maxx, tableware sold on the Home Shopping Network and an array of branded office furniture. Such unglamorous wares sell big — an estimated $2.6 billion at retail. Ireland, who worked a paper route as her first job, was scouted by Elite modeling agency at age 16. She graced the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue for 13 consecutive years.

Meg Whitman, CEO, HP; Net worth: $2.1 billion

Meg Whitman, the CEO of Hewlett Packard for four years, oversaw its historic split in two in November 2015 and now heads up $52 billion (sales) Hewlett Packard Enterprise, which sells servers, software and more. She is best known for leading online auction site eBay from $5 million in revenues in 1998 to $8 billion at the time of her departure in 2008; eBay is also by far the biggest source of her fortune.

Toni Ko, Founder, NYX Cosmetics and Perverse Sunglasses; Net worth: $260 million

Toni Ko, who moved to the U.S. from Korea at age 13, worked after school for her parents’ beauty supply business. At age 25, she noticed a gap in the market for department-store-quality makeup at a drugstore price. Ko launched NYX Cosmetics, selling colorful, high-end makeup at bargain prices. In her first year Ko did $4 million in retail sales. Ko sold the venture-backed brand to L’Ore?al in 2014 in a transaction valued at $500 million. In spring 2016 Ko launched Perverse Sunglasses, selling sexy, stylish “sunnies” for between $40 and $60 a pair.

Katrina Lake, Creator, Stitch Fix; Net worth: $120 million

Katrina Lake created Stitch Fix, an online retailer that picks clothes for customers using a cocktail of data science and personal stylists. With $250 million in sales last year, the San Francisco-based startup has become an easy way for busy women to shop. At age 33, Lake is on Forbes’ ‘Ones To Watch’ list: she didn’t make the net worth cut of $250 million for our top 60 Richest Self-Made Women, but we think she will in years to come.

Dorothy Herman, Co-Owner, Douglas Elliman; Net worth: $270 million

The richest self-made woman in American real estate, Dorothy Herman is co-owner of New York’s elite brokerage firm Douglas Elliman, which sells $22 billion worth of homes a year, netting $600 million in sales. The firm has over 6,000 agents in 85 offices. She and partner Howard Lorber bought it for $72 million in 2003. It hasn’t been an easy journey for her. A car crash killed her mother, left her father disabled and brought on seizures for then 10-year-old ‘Dottie’, who was thrown from the car. She became a mom at age 19, and started working as a real estate broker at Merrill Lynch on Long Island in the 1980s. It was soon bought by Prudential Long Island, and in 1990, she bought the majority of that brokerage firm.

Liz Elting, co-CEo, TransPerfect; Net worth: $390 million

Liz Elting is co-CEO of TransPerfect, one of the world’s largest translation firms, with $505 million in revenues and offices in more than 90 cities. She started the company in 1992 with Phil Shawe, her one-time fiancé, in a New York University dorm room. Today the New York City-based firm has 4,000 employees and around 11,000 clients, including AT&T, Google and Wal-Mart.

TransPerfect is among the most profitable firms in the language services industry and has grown revenues an average of 22% a year for a decade. That’s despite the fact that the cofounders have spent two years trying to settle a messy corporate divorce. A custodian will be appointed to sell the company, in such an event. A ruling on whether the sale will go forward and what form it will take is expected in June 2016.

Since we are unable to live nine lives, one of each of these super rich, super ladies, Forbes covered all here in one shot. Let’s take some inspiration, a leaf out of their lives and live life Queensize! 

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