The 10 Richest Self-Made Women in America

The top spot goes to ... a roofer
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 2, 2016 7:20 AM CDT
The 10 Richest Self-Made Women in America
Oprah Winfrey in New York in October.   (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP, File)

As USA Today puts it, "the richest self-made woman in America is a roofer." Diane Hendricks, who owns America's largest wholesale roofing and siding distributor, tops Forbes' second annual list of the country's richest self-made women—meaning they earned rather than inherited their cash. The youngest woman on the list is 26-year-old Taylor Swift with a new worth of $250 million, but she sits at the 60th spot. Here's the top 10.

  1. Diane Hendricks, co-founder of ABC Supply: $4.9 billion
  2. Oprah Winfrey, TV personality and Weight Watchers rep: $3.1 billion
  3. Judy Faulkner, CEO of Epic Systems: $2.4 billion
  4. Doris Fisher, co-founder of Gap: $2.4 billion
  5. Johnelle Hunt, co-founder of J.B. Hunt Transport Services: $2.3 billion
  6. Marian Ilitch, co-founder of Little Caesars: $2.1 billion
  7. Meg Whitman, Hewlett Packard CEO: $2.1 billion
  8. Lynda Resnick, co-owner of Wonderful Company and Fiji Water: $2 billion
  9. Jin Sook Chang, co-founder of Forever 21: $1.9 billion
  10. Judy Love, co-owner of 300 gas stations and convenience stores: $1.9 billion
Click for the full list or see why one woman suddenly dropped off it completely. (More business stories.)

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