Last year, Elizabeth Holmes made headlines for becoming a billionaire at just 30 years old. Today, the founder and CEO of blood testing firm Theranos is still both the youngest and richest woman in the world to build her own fortune, worth an estimated $4.5 billion.
She’s among nine of America’s 50 richest self-made women to become multimillionaires – or billionaires – before the age 50. These entrepreneurs and executives hit the jackpot in everything from entertainment to fashion to translation services.
Pop star Beyoncé Knowles is the second-youngest on the list, with an estimated net worth of $250 million at age 33. She’s grossed more than $500 million since going solo, and her On The Run tour with husband Jay Z last summer pulled in nearly $100 million.
Joining Holmes in the 10-digit ranks are 45-year-old Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, 48-year-old fashion designer Tory Burch ($1 billion) and 44-year-old Spanx inventor Sara Blakely ($1 billion).
“I did not have the most experience in the industry or the most money,” Blakely said of her trying early years, addressing the audience at Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Summit in October 2014. “But I cared the most.”
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, who is 40, and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, who is 46, owe their multimillion-dollar fortunes to being among the first employees to join Google in the late 1990s. Another young tech CEO, 42-year-old Houzz cofounder Adi Tatarko, caught up with the Google veterans despite being a relative newcomer. She started the home design website with her husband, Alon Cohen, in 2009 and now has an estimated $300 million to her name thanks to the company's $2-billion-plus valuation.
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