Forbes Magazine on Tuesday announced its top 10 self-made richest women in the world, which includes five businesswomen from China, four from the United States and one from Switzerland.
Most of the 327 billionaire women in the world inherited their great wealth. But 101 of these rich women, including 11 who share their fortune with their spouse, made it themselves.
Here’s a list of 10 of these inspiring women that Forbes has recognised.
Fan Hongwei
With a net worth of $18.2 billion, Hongwei is the 13th wealthiest woman in the world. She chairs Hengli Petrochemical, an oil refining and chemical fibre company in China.
Rafaela Aponte
Rafaela founded the Mediterranean Shipping Company in 1970 with her husband, Gianluigi, which has become the source of her fortune. The company owns 600 vessels in 155 countries. The couple hails from Switzerland and has an estimated fortune of $6.1 billion.
Wu Yajun
With her source of wealth in real estate, Wu Yajun’s net worth is approximately $15.3 billion. She cofounded real estate developer Longfor Properties with her husband, and the company now owns 61 shopping centres in China.
Diane Hendricks
Hendrick is the first American woman on the Forbes list. She’s a big name in construction as her company ABC Supply is the largest distributor of roofing materials in the country. Hendricks's net worth is $10.7 billion.
Judy Love
United States power couple Judy and Tom founded Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores in 1964, which has now expanded to over 50 locations in 41 states. With her net worth of $9.7 billion, Judy serves as the executive secretary of her business.
Wang Laichun
Another billionaire from China, Wang Laichun is the chairwoman and cofounder of Luxshare Precision Industry, which is a cable and connectors manufacturer in China. One of the most notable clients of Luxshare is Apple.
Zhong Huijuan
Previously a chemistry teacher Zhong Huijuan is the founder of Hansoh Pharmaceuticals – a big name in China. The net worth of its chairwoman Zhong Huijuan is estimated at $8.1 billion.
Lynda Resnick
Winner of a Gold Effie Award for a Teleflora ad, Resnick is the vice-chair of an agricultural and water-based company called the Wonderful company. She oversees the marketing and product development department of the company.
Zhou Qunfei
With a net worth of $7.1 billion, Zhou Qunfei is the founder of Lens Technology, a company that supplies smartphone screens to brands like Microsoft, Samsung and LG. The billionaire was previously a factory worker.
Judy Faulkner
A big name in health IT, Faulker founded a software called 'Epic' that helps hospitals keep records of medical information on more than 225 million patients.
