Today, some of the U.S.'s biggest companies, brands, products and technological innovations are being built by women. And, most importantly, many women are building their empires without the help of an inheritance, a business partner or even a husband.
You may be shocked (or depressed) to learn that two thirds of American female billionaires inherited their fortunes from late husbands or fathers. On the other hand, if you look a little deeper at any list of the richest people in the world, you will find plenty of self-made women worth tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars. Everyone from Sara Blakely to Martha Stewart to Xerox CEO Ursula Burns deserves a spot on this list of kick ass self-made wealthy American women but for today, we only have time for the very richest of the self-made female billionaires. To make this list, women had to have a minimum net worth of $2.1 billion and, if they built their business alongside their husband, they had to have had a substantial part in building the business. Without further delay, here are the richest self-made female businesswomen and entrepreneurs in America today.
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#9. Meg Whitman
Hewlett Packard
Net Worth: $2.1 billion
#8. Johnelle Hunt
J.B. Hunt Transport Services
Net Worth: $2.4 billion
#7. Judy Faulkner
Epic Systems
Net Worth: $2.6 billion
#6. Oprah Winfrey
OWN Cable Network
Net Worth: $3.2 billion
#5. Doris Fisher
Gap
Net Worth: $3.3 billion
#4. Judy Love
Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores
Net Worth: $3.4 billion
#4. Marian Ilitch
Little Caesar's Pizza
Net Worth: $4.2 billion
#3. Diane Hendricks
ABC Supply
Net Worth: $4.9 billion
#2. Lynda Resnick
The Wonderful Company
Net Worth: $5 billion
#1. Jin Sook Chang
Forever 21
Net Worth: $5.9 billion
