6 Lesser-Known Women Billionaires Behind Successful Brands
This year’s World’s Billionaires list from Forbes featured 2,668 people, of which there were only 101 women who have founded or cofounded a company or built their own fortune. Many are household names, but here are six lesser-known women billionaires behind successful self-made brands. Net worths are as of April 13, 2022.
Besides collecting art, philanthropy, and real estate investments, some billionaires also use their fortunes to channel millions into a less-common investment plan— life-extension. Here’s how some of the world’s richest have been planning for a longer future. Net worths are as of April 10, 2022. Doris Fisher Brand: Gap Citizenship: U.S. Net worth: $2.6 billion
Fisher and her late husband Donald opened the first store of clothing retailer Gap Inc. in 1969 in San Francisco, California, armed with the idea of making it easier to find a pair of jeans that fit. The 90-year-old cofounder was Gap's merchandiser for 34 years and was active in the company's board until 2009. From initially selling men's Levi's jeans and record tapes, Gap today houses American staple clothing brands like Old Navy and Banana Republic as well as its own Gaplabel products, which were first launched in 1974. In 2020, Gap announced a collaboration with billionaire rapper Kanye West to release the Yeezy Gap clothing line, which reportedly made $1 billion in the first year, according to Forbes.
Giuliana Benetton Brand: Benetton Group Citizenship: Italy Net worth: $3.2 billion
Benetton, 84, and her brother Luciano, 86, are the two surviving founders of Benetton Group, the Italian fashion brand they started with their late siblings Gilberto and Carlo in 1965. The quartet founded Benetton after Giuliana's personally-knitted bright yellow sweater caught the attention of Luciano's colleagues. Known for its brands United Colors of Benetton, Undercolors of Benetton, and Sisley, the group boasts around 4,000 stores worldwide. It became a public company in the late 1980s but later delisted from the stock exchanges of Milan, Frankfurt, and New York after more than 26 years. The group is now part of Edizione, a holding company fully controlled by the Benetton family.
Marian Ilitch Brand: Little Caesars Pizza Citizenship: U.S.
Net worth: $4.4 billion
One of America's most widelyregarded businesswomen, Ilitch cofounded family-owned Little Caesars Pizza with her late husband Mike in 1959. The couple grew a single mom-andpop pizza shop into one of the world's largest pizza chains, with a presence in over 27 countries and territories. Based out of Detroit, Michigan, Little Caesars amasses systemwide sales of more than $4 billion annually, according to Forbes. Ilitch, 89, also owns Detroit Red Wings, the ice hockey team she and her husband bought in 1982.
Falguni Nayar Brand: Nykaa Citizenship: India Net worth: $5.8 billion
Former investment banker Nayar became India's richest self-made female billionaire after she took her Mumbaibased beauty products e-retailer Nykaa public in November 2021. The 59-year-old entrepreneur and her family owned 52.56% of the company as of December 2021. Though Nykaa has 80 physical stores in 40 Indian cities as of October 2021, 97% of its gross merchandise value comes from online sales, according to Forbes, with the omnichannel beauty and fashion platform offering over 4,000 brands. Before starting the multi-brand retailer of cosmetics and apparel in 2012, Nayar was managing director of Kotak Mahindra Capital, the investment bank of India's richest banker Uday Kotak.
Johnelle Hunt Brand: J.B. Hunt Citizenship: U.S. Net worth: $4.2 billion
In 1961, Hunt cofounded North America's freight transportation services leader J.B. Hunt, known for its yellow and black scroll logo that carries her late husband Johnnie Bryan's initials. Hunt, who recently turned 90, stepped away from the company's day-to-day operations in 2008 but remains J.B. Hunt's largest individual shareholder, owning 17% of the firm. From a company with only five trucks and seven trailers, J.B. Hunt has grown to become a publicly-traded trucking and logistics firm, with a market valuation of $18 billion.
Shu Ping Brand: Haidilao International Holdings Citizenship: Singapore Net worth: $1.4 billion
Shu helped set up Chinese hotpot chain Haidilao International Holdings in 1994 along with three friends—including one who became her husband—using their personal savings. The Singapore-based entrepreneur, who helps oversee the company's management and strategic development, and her billionaire husband Zhang Yong, who currently chairs the company's board, are Haidilao's controlling shareholders. By the end of 2021, Haidilao had 1,443 restaurants, the majority of which are in mainland China with 1,329, while 114 stores are spread across Asia, North America, Europe, and Oceania.