Michigan Woman Makes Forbes’ Richest Self-Made Women List

Michigan’s very own Marian Ilitch is crushing it on Forbes' latest list. She's one of the richest self-made women in America. Surpassing notable figures such as Taylor Swift, Madonna, Oprah Winfrey, and Kim Kardashian.

Ilitch, a graduate of Fordson High School in Dearborn, stands out as the sole Michigan resident to secure a spot on the list which features entrepreneurs, executives, and entertainers. At the remarkable age of 90, as the founder and chairwoman of Ilitch Holdings Inc., she has claimed the eighth position with an estimated real-time net worth of $4 billion. According to Forbes, the collective net worth of the 100 women featured on the list has reached an all-time high of $124 billion, representing an impressive growth of nearly 12% compared to the previous year.

For the sixth consecutive year, Diane Hendricks, the powerhouse behind a building supply distributor, has claimed the coveted top spot-on Forbes' list. With a staggering net worth of $15 billion, she continues to dominate the rankings.

The list features an impressive array of talented women, including Sara Blakely, the visionary founder of Spanx, Peggy Cherng, the brilliant cofounder and co-CEO of Panda Express, the renowned fashion designer Tory Burch, the multi-talented musician and designer Rihanna, and the iconic songwriter and country music star Dolly Parton. These women have undoubtedly made their mark in their respective fields.

Marian Ilitch, a familiar face on Forbes' America's Richest Self list in recent years, has consistently proven her financial prowess. In fact, she even secured the top spot back in 2017.

To be featured on this prestigious list, women must have substantially built their fortunes in the United States and/or be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, according to Forbes. Net worths were determined by assessing individual assets, including stakes in public companies based on stock prices as of May 12, 2023. The values of private companies were made in consultation with external experts, ensuring a conservative comparison with public counterparts.

After giving birth to her third child in 1959, Marian Ilitch and her late husband Mike opened a pizza shop called Little Caesars in Garden City. Today, Little Caesars has become the third-largest pizza chain worldwide, with locations across all 50 U.S. states and in over 27 countries.

Ilitch Holdings also oversees a range of businesses, including Blue Line Foodservice Distribution, the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers, MotorCity Casino Hotel, Olympia Development, and 313 Presents, a live entertainment company.

See the complete list here.

Forbes recently dropped their 37^th Annual World's Billionaires List. It features a list of the wealthiest people in the world. They say there's a total of 2,640 billionaires in the world. Over 730 billionaires reside in the United States. These billionaires have made their money from manufacturing and food to grocery stores and mortgage lending.

On this year's list, Forbes added some newcomers. Elisabeth DeLuca, the widow of Subway cofounder Fred DeLuca and Annette Lerner who started a real estate company are new billionaires. Fun fact about Lerner: in 1952, she loaned $250 to her husband, Ted to start a real estate company, selling homes for developers.

Also, this year's list had some major changes compared to past lists. According to Forbes, the number of billionaires around the globe has declined from 2,668 in 2022 to 2,640 this year. They also said that the total billionaire wealth has dropped down by $500 billion to $12.2 trillion. A total of 254 people have lost their billionaire status altogether including Sam Bankman Fried, his FTX cofounder Gary Wang, and musician Kanye West.

Overall, most of the Forbes list of the World's Billionaires are self-made. "Meaning they founded or confounded their company or established their own fortune, rather than inheriting it," said Forbes.

When you think about Michigan billionaires, a few names might come to mind such as Dan Gilbert or Marian Ilitch. There are more billionaires in Michigan than you think.

Here are Michigan’s billionaires.

He owns a stake in his family's steel business, Zekelman Industries. Zekelman's net worth is $1.8 billion, ranking as the 1,647th wealthiest person in the world. Though he has citizenship in Canada, he is a resident of Bloomfield Hills.

He is the CEO of plastic container maker Plastipak, which makes more than $3 billion in annual sales. Young's net worth is $2 billion, ranking as the 1,516th wealthiest person in the world.

Former race car driver Roger Penske is the founder, chairman and CEO of publicly traded car and truck dealer Penske Automotive Group. Penske’s net worth is $3.2 billion, ranking as the 905th wealthiest person in the world.

She and her husband, Mike Ilitch, who died in 2017, cofounded Little Caesars Pizza in 1959. Her net worth is $4.3 billion, ranking as the 636th wealthiest person in the world.

Together they own the Michigan-based grocery chain Meijer. Each of them has a net worth is $4.6 billion, with a tie ranking as the 591st wealthiest people in the world. Mark has no role in day-to-day operations but serves on the company's board of directors.

He is chairman and CEO of Michigan-based mortgage lender United Wholesale Mortgage, now UWM Holdings, founded by his father Jeff in 1986. Ishbia's net worth is $5.4 billion, ranking as the 486th wealthiest person in the world.

She is a director of Stryker Corp., the medical equipment company founded by her grandfather, Homer Stryker who died in 1980. Her net worth is $6.9 billion, ranking as the 344th wealthiest person in the world.

Stryker's grandfather founded Stryker Corp., which sold $14.4 billion in medical equipment in 2020. His net worth is $4.3 billion, ranking as the 636th wealthiest person in the world.

Stryker is a philanthropist and founder of Bohemian Foundation, which supports music, community, global and civic programs. Her net worth is $3.2 billion, tied ranking as the 905th wealthiest person in the world.

He ran Stryker Corp., a medical device and software company, for 32 years before retiring as chairman in 2009. His net worth is $5.7 billion, tied ranking as the 445th wealthiest person in the world.

Gilbert cofounded what would become Quicken Loans, the largest mortgage lender in the U.S., in 1985 at 22 years old. His net worth is $20.6 billion, ranking as the 92nd wealthiest person in the world.