15 Richest Self-Made Women in America: Forbes, 2023

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The female entrepreneurial class in the U.S. doesn’t command headlines the way their male counterparts often do, but a new report from Forbes shows that the richest self-made women in the country haven’t done badly for themselves. They’ve made their fortunes in restaurants, information technology, car dealerships, entertainment and more.

The 100 entrepreneurs, executives and entertainers on Forbes’ latest ranking are cumulatively worth a record $124 billion, a year-over-year increase of nearly 12%. Eight newcomers joined the list this year.

To compile the women’s net worth, Forbes valued individual assets, including stakes in public companies using stock prices from May 12. Researchers valued private companies by consulting with outside experts and conservatively comparing them with public companies.

To be eligible for the list, women had to have substantially made their own fortunes in the U.S. and/or be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Although none inherited their wealth, some climbed farther and overcame more obstacles to get into the ranks.

To measure just how far some have come, Forbes gave women a self-made score of 6 (hired hand) to 10 (rags-to-riches entrepreneur). Researchers sought to vet numbers with all list entrants. Some cooperated, others did not.

See the gallery for the 15 richest self-made women in the U.S.

(Image: Adobe Stock)

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