Meet America’s Richest Self-Made Women Of 2024

US women entrepreneurs are making waves like never before, reaching unprecedented heights with a record-setting rise in the combined fortunes of America's most affluent self-made women, topping $154 billion. These female trendsetters, who have led industries ranging from food to music, have not only broken stereotypes but also set high standards for business success.

Almost three-quarters of the 100 women on the list began or established a business, and 22 are CEOs or co-CEOs. A strong stock market helped boost the aggregate fortunes of members of Forbes' ninth annual list of America's Richest Self-Made Women to a record $154 billion, up over 25% from the previous year. The bar to qualify increased to $300 million from $225 million last year, the highest since Forbes began monitoring the top 100 in 2020. Seventy-three members are richer than they were in 2023, with only ten seeing their incomes decrease.

The Success Stories Of America's Richest Self-Made Women In 2024

Diane Hendricks, a business stalwart, leads the way in this remarkable feat, continuing her reign as the wealthiest self-made woman for the seventh year in a row. With a record fortune of $20.9 billion, Hendricks is the driving force behind ABC Supply, a leading roofing and building supplies company that she co-founded with her late husband in 1982. Under her watch, the company's revenue climbed at an unmatched pace, rising from $2.6 billion to $20.4 billion.

Hendricks is the highest dollar gainer this year, up $5.9 billion from a year ago, boosted by a 10% increase in ABC Supply's 2023 revenues.

However, the largest percentage gainer is Elizabeth Uihlein, whose fortune has increased by 81% to an estimated $6.7 billion. Uihlein and her husband Richard created the packaging supply company Uline in 1980. The boost in her net worth is attributed to Forbes having more information on the privately held company's revenues (estimated at $8 billion in 2023), as well as a greater valuation of the company due to stronger economic conditions.

Among the prominent arrivals is famed singer Katy Perry, whose estimated net worth of $350 million elevates her into the ranks of America's wealthiest self-made women, owing primarily to the profitable sale of her music catalogue in September 2023. Fawn Weaver, the owner of Uncle Nearest, the fastest-growing whisky brand in American history, makes her debut, as does money manager Joan Payden, who founded her firm Payden & Rygel in 1983 and is still CEO at 92. The list now includes a record 31 billionaires, up from 24 last year, with three additions.

Barbara Banke, who cofounded Jackson Family Wines with her late husband Jess Jackson and is best known for Kendall-Jackson and La Crema wines, is believed to be worth $2.6 billion. Susan Ocampo, a semiconductor entrepreneur and investor, is worth an estimated $2 billion, the majority of which comes from a 21% interest in publicly traded semiconductor firm Macom Technology Solutions. Supermicro's shares have increased by more than 400% in the last year, bringing cofounder Sara Liu's estimated net worth to $1 billion.

Taylor Swift, too, became a billionaire in October 2023 thanks to the earnings from her Eras tour and the value of her music record. After accounting for additional tour dates and a higher value for her music catalogue, Forbes now estimates Swift's fortune at $1.3 billion—$200 million more than in the fall. 

Sheila Johnson and her ex-husband Robert Johnson started BET Networks, a cable television network, in 1979. She is now a billionaire, thanks to the rising value of her stakes in the NBA's Washington Wizards and the NHL's Washington Capitals. Lisa Su is the CEO of Advanced Micro Devices, and the company's stock has risen in response to the hype around generative artificial intelligence. Michelle Zatlyn is a co-founder of Cloudflare, a cybersecurity firm whose stock rose in the past.

The list's oldest member, aged 97, is Alice Schwartz, who cofounded Bio-Rad Laboratories in 1952, whereas  Kylie Jenner, the youngest, is 26 years old.

Where Do These Self-Made Women live?

California continues to have the most list members. Thirty-nine women live in the Golden State, including former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and Alphabet executive Ruth Porat, up from 38 last year. Eleven people live in Texas, including SpaceX's Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell and Advanced Micro Devices' Lisa Su. Mary Callahan Erdoes, CEO of JP Morgan Chase's wealth management unit, is one of nine members based in New York.

While the majority of list members experienced an increase in their fortunes, a few faced setbacks along the way. Whitney Wolfe Herd, the mind behind Bumble, suffered a financial setback as Bumble's stock price fell from $120 million to $400 million. Doris Fisher, the co-founder of Gap, also faced issues after donating a major portion of her art collection. Shonda Rhimes, the creator and showrunner behind television classics such as Grey's Anatomy and Scandal, as well as the popular streaming series Bridgerton, was worth $250 million last year but did not meet the $300 million standards for this year's list.