Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate women past and present from all walks of life, including some of the world’s most successful female entrepreneurs. Some women were born on the path to success, while others include entrepreneurs who failed before they succeeded. Some lead massive companies while others launch their own women-owned businesses.
Whether they are experienced or young women, co-founder of companies or investors in a marketing agency, female entrepreneurs can be found throughout the business world. Who are some of the most successful women in American business today?
18 Most Successful Female Entrepreneurs
Who are the most successful female entrepreneurs in America? There are too many to list, but the following 18 businesswoman were chosen because they forged their own entrepreneurial journey. From an executive chairman to world-famous recording artists, these female entrepreneurs continue to make waves throughout the business world.
1. Beyonce (Giselle Knowles)
Net worth: $440 million
A singer-songwriter who got her start in the entertainment industry as a teen in the 1990s, Beyonce is not only a successful entrepreneur, but one of the most influential people in American pop culture. Not only is Beyonce one of the top-selling musical artists in the world, but she has signed multi-million-dollar endorsements and founded her own brand, Parkwood Entertainment. To top it off, Beyonce produces movies, music and has her own clothing line.
2. Lynda Resnick
Net worth: $5 billion
A successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, Lynda Resknick, with her husband Stewart, founded their holding company, The Wonderful Company, which has allowed Resnick to work with many brands over the years, including POM Wonderful, Fiji water, the Telefloral company and many more. Resnick’s company now boasts annual revenues exceeding $4 billion.
3. Oprah Winfrey
Net worth: $2.6 billion
Possibly the most powerful woman in the entertainment industry and one of the most famous black entrepreneurs, Oprah Winfrey is a successful actress, talk show host, philanthropist and entrepreneur who rose from humble beginnings. An example to black women and women of all racial backgrounds, Winfrey continues to use her success to launch brands and build awareness around the world.
4. Susan Wojcicki
Net worth: $815 million
Another of our powerful women and one of the world’s most successful businesswomen, Susan Wojcicki has been the CEO of YouTube since 2014 after having a strong presence in the tech industry for more than two decades. Wojcicki got her start as an entrepreneur at the tender age of 11, selling spice ropes from door to door.
5. Caterina Fake
Net worth: $25 million
American entrepreneur and businesswoman Caterina Fake found success in 2004 when she co-founded the popular image- and video-hosting platform Flickr, which now boasts more than 112 million users around the world. Fake went on to found the website Hunch in 2007, she now serves as the chairwoman for Etsy, and she has been recognized as a valuable angel investor in the Silicon Valley community.
6. Sophia Amoruso
Net worth: $25 million
Another one of the most powerful women, Sophia Amoruso is a best-selling author, entrepreneur and founder of the American lifestyle brand Nasty Gal. After being lauded for its quick rise to success, Nasty Gal ran out of money and went bankrupt in 2017. Perseverence served Amoruso, however, and she soon founded a new brand, Girlboss Media.
7. Kylie Jenner
Net worth: $1 billion
Kylie Jenner got her start at a young age as co-star of the reality television program, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” featuring her family. Jenner must have gotten some good business advice along the way. She’s now made more money than any other woman of her age as a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur. Jenner masterfully promotes her company, Kylie Cosmetics, through social media, and she is the most followed woman and second-most followed person on all of Instagram.
8. Arianna Huffington
Net worth: $100 million
Arianna Huffington is a successful author, columnist, publisher and entrepreneur who founded the Huffington Post in 2005 before selling the website after just six years to AOL for $315 million. Later, Huffington founded another online community, Thrive Global, which focuses on mental health, wellness and behavior change through content and technology.
9. Debbi Fields
Net worth: $200 million
Founder and spokesperson for Mrs. Fields Bakeries, Debbi Field’s has seen her products become a household name. Now the largest chain of fresh cookie retailers in the United States, Mrs. Fields Bakeries has expanded to multiple countries, and it boasts about 650 bakers in America after starting as just another small business with limited financing.
10. Indra Nooyi
Net worth: $100 million
Described as one of the world’s most powerful female entrepreneurs, Indra Nooyi is also a successful author who served as chairman and CEO of Pepsi-Co for more than a decade, where her salary exceeded $31 million annually. Retired after 24 years with Pepsi, Nooyi now serves on the boards of both Amazon and Philips.
11. Sheryl Sandberg
Net worth: $1.6 billion
The first woman to sit on Facebook’s board of directors, Sheryl Sandberg is a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist who has served as the company now known as Meta’s COO since 2008, helping to lead the brand to its current levels of astronomic success. Sandberg also founded her own brand, LeanIn.Org, a nonprofit organization that helps women aspire and achieve their goals.
12. Sara Blakely
Net worth: $1.1 billion
The successful female entrepreneur and philanthropist Sara Blakely found success through her company Spanx after starting the brand from scratch and with very little money. After being rejected by countless potential investors, Blakely’s fortune skyrocketed after her products were promoted by another successful female entrepreneur, Ophra Winfrey.
13. Janice Bryant Howroyd
Net worth: $420 million
Founder of ActOne Group, Janice Bryant Howroyd’s company is the first led by an African-American female to exceed $1 billion in annual revenue. The Los Angeles-based employment agency and consultancy serves more than 17,000 clients in 19 countries after Howroyd founded it with just $1,500 in 1978. It’s no wonder Forbes called her one of its richest self-made women.
14. Tory Burch
Net worth: $850 million
Fashion designer, businesswoman and CEO Tory Burch founded a brand that generates more than $1.5 billion in annual revenue. Burch’s label produces lifestyle and fashion designs, including designer handbags, shoes and apparel. Founded in 2004 ,Tory Burch LLC now includes more than 300 stores worldwide.
15. Rihanna (Robyn Rihanna Fenty)
Net worth: $1.7 billion
As the richest female singer in the world, Rihanna is a platinum-selling recording artist. However, most of her fortune was made through Fenty Beauty, the cosmetics line she co-owns. Her business pursuits don’t end there. Rihanna also co-owns a lingerie line, Savage X Fenty, and she founded the philanthropy, Clara Lionel Foundation, which raises millions for climate, social and other issues.
16. Melanie Perkins
Net worth: $6.5 billion
CEO and co-founder of Canva, Melanie Perkins is one of the younger female entrepreneurs on this list, having revolutionized her sector before she was 30. After launching the powerful graphic design platform in 2013, Perkins helped lead the company to significant success, now boasting more than 60 million monthly users and valued at more than $40 billion.
17. Lori Greiner
Net worth: $150 million
Successful American jewelry designer, entrepreneur and inventor Lori Greiner has served as an investor on the television phenomenon, “Shark Tank,” since 2012. Greiner might have invested in hundreds of small businesses through the reality television avenue, but she was selling out designs on QVC for years before. Greiner is also the founder of For Your Ease Only, Inc.
18. Judy Faulkner
Net worth: $5.6 billion
One of the world’s wealthiest female entrepreneurs, Judy Faulkner founded the healthcare software company Epic Systems, where she serves as chief executive officer. The billionaire businesswoman started her company in 1979 out of her Wisconsin basement, but Faulkner led the brand to its place as one of the leading software companies on the planet. It’s no wonder she’s been named one of Forbes’ most powerful women in human health care.
Celebrate Women Entrepreneurs in Your Business
Women’s History Month isn’t the only time to celebrate women’s entrepreneurship. While it’s great to read about the accomplishments of successful businesswomen, it’s even better to support other female entrepreneurs at your small business.
Support fellow businesswomen by partnering with them in joint business ventures or hiring budding female entrepreneurs to fill key positions. Consumers can celebrate and support women entrepreneurs by purchasing their products and supporting these women-led brands and small businesses.
Who is the most famous female business owner in the US?
Who is among the most famous business women in the United States? While various women are more famous in certain sectors, Oprah Winfrey is likely to most famous woman entrepreneur in the entertainment industry, and more known to people overall. With a net worth exceeding $2.6 billion, Winfrey is famous in the worlds of television, publishing, business and philanthropy.
Who was the first female entrepreneur?
Who was the first female entrepreneur? Born Sarah Breedlove and known as the original “self-made woman,” Madame C.J. Walker was the first American woman to become a self-made millionaire. The daughter of former slaves started with almost nothing when developing a cosmetics and hair care line for black women in the early 1900s. Walker later became an active philanthropist and patron of the arts.
Who is the most successful business woman in the US?
Who is the most successful of all women in business? In terms of wealth, the most successful business woman in the United States might be Diane Hendricks. The co-founder and chairman of ABC Supply is valued at $11 billion, according to Forbes, and she leads the largest wholesale distributors of roofing, siding and windows in America. After co-founding the business with her husband Ken in 1982, she has run the brand as a solo operation since his 2007 death.
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