Forbes last month in June released the eighth annual list of America’s richest self-made women and it recorded the country's top female entrepreneurs who have managed to shatter glass ceilings in their respective fields. Tapping into old horizons and new by creating their brands, companies to build their fortunes, they have managed to become America's most successful, richer than ever before. Featuring among the list of America's richest self-made women are these five Indian-origin entrepreneurs:
Eren Ozmen Sierra Space, which she and her husband spun off from their aerospace and defense company Sierra Nevada, raised $1.4 billion at a $4.5 billion valuation in November. That transaction helped boost her fortune by $1.2 billion. She is CEO of Sierra Nevada.
Divorced from Kanye West since March, Kardashian is $600 million richer than in 2021, thanks to the success of her shapewear line Skims, which raised $240 million in January, doubling its valuation to $3.2 billion in less than a year.
The CEO of semiconductor firm Advanced Micro Devices since 2014, Su is credited with helping lead one of the tech industry’s greatest turnarounds, driving shares up nearly 30-fold during her tenure. In February, AMD closed its $49 billion acquisition of adaptable computing powerhouse Xilinx.
Shotwell calls the shots as president and chief operating officer of Elon Musk’s rocket firm SpaceX. Last fall, it launched the first completely private mission to orbit Earth, paid for by billionaire Jared Isaacman. She was the seventh employee hired at SpaceX.
Witherspoon sold a majority stake in her production company, Hello Sunshine, to a Blackstone-backed media company in August 2021. The deal valued the company, which she founded in 2016 to tell women-driven stories, at $900 million.
Grede is CEO of Good American, a fashion brand she started with Khloe Kardashian in 2016. The majority of her fortune comes from Khloe’s sister Kim’s shapewear brand Skims, where she is chief product officer. She is a regular on the popular ABC series Shark Tank.
The former Gilt Groupe marketing executive started frozen meal delivery service Daily Harvest in 2015, funding it with $25,000 in savings. In November, Daily Harvest, which now sells frozen bowls, parfaits and more, raised $100 million from private investors at a $1.1 billion valuation
The founder of 1970s-inspired fashion brand Aviator Nation, known for its $160 smiley face sweatpants and $190 striped hoodies, paid herself a $47.5 million dividend last year–her first ever. The company, which makes its clothes in a California factory, took off during the coronavirus pandemic.
Injuries have stalled the tennis ace’s pursuit of a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title, but she remains one of sports’ most marketable stars, with more than a dozen corporate partners. Her venture capital firm Serena Ventures raised $111 million from outside investors in March.
