Starting a company means taking a risk, and many of the women on this list took that risk when few investors, banks, or industries were ready to back them. Some started with a pizza shop, a trucking fleet, or a gas station. Others built software, media, and AI companies that now operate on a global scale.

What they share is that each one started or co-started the business that made her fortune. Their companies now employ hundreds of thousands of people and serve customers in almost every part of daily life, from food and fuel to healthcare records, clothing, and artificial intelligence.

In this article, we’ll discuss the top 10 women entrepreneurs in the United States, based on their history, ownership, and the kind of business they are known for. The ranking covers women founders and co-founders and uses net worth estimates from Forbes’ 2026 lists.

Quick Comparison

Rank	Entrepreneur	Company	Founded	US Headquarters	Core Industry	Net Worth (Forbes 2026)
1	Diane Hendricks	ABC Supply	1982	Beloit, Wisconsin	Building Materials	$21.7 billion
2	Daniela Amodei	Anthropic	2021	San Francisco, California	Artificial Intelligence	$15.5 billion
3	Judy Faulkner	Epic Systems	1979	Verona, Wisconsin	Healthcare Software	$9.6 billion
4	Peggy Cherng	Panda Restaurant Group	1973	Rosemead, California	Restaurants	$8.3 billion
5	Marian Ilitch	Little Caesars	1959	Detroit, Michigan	Pizza & Sports Entertainment	$7.6 billion
6	Johnelle Hunt	J.B. Hunt Transport	1961	Lowell, Arkansas	Trucking & Logistics	$6.7 billion
7	Judy Love	Love’s Travel Stops	1964	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	Travel Stops & Fuel	$6.0 billion
8	Oprah Winfrey	Harpo & OWN	1986	Los Angeles, California	Media & Entertainment	$3.4 billion
9	Luana Lopes Lara	Kalshi	2018	New York, New York	Prediction Markets	$2.6 billion
10	Kim Kardashian	SKIMS	2019	Los Angeles, California	Shapewear & Fashion	About $1.9 billion

Diane Hendricks – The Building Supplies Leader

Image Credit: Homes For Our Troops via PR Newswire

• Company: ABC Supply 
• Role: Co-founder and chair 
• Headquarters: Beloit, Wisconsin 
• Net Worth: $21.7 billion

Diane Hendricks co-founded ABC Supply in 1982 with her husband, Ken Hendricks, in Beloit, Wisconsin. The company began by supplying roofing materials to contractors and grew by opening new branches across the country. After Ken passed away in 2007, Diane took a larger role and led the company through its next phase of growth.

ABC Supply is now the largest wholesale distributor of roofing, siding, and windows in North America. According to Forbes, Hendricks is the richest self-made woman in America for the ninth year in a row, even though her fortune dipped slightly over the past year.

What she does: Leads one of America’s largest building materials distributors. 

Known for: ABC Supply and her long-running top spot among self-made women.

Daniela Amodei – The AI Co-Founder

Image Credit: Anthropic  (Official Website)

• Company: Anthropic 
• Role: Co-founder and president 
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California 
• Net Worth: $15.5 billion

Daniela Amodei started Anthropic with her brother Dario and five others after all seven left OpenAI in December 2020. She had earlier worked at Stripe and OpenAI, and she studied English literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz. At Anthropic, she oversees the business and operations side of the company.

Anthropic builds AI systems, including the Claude family of models. Forbes reports that the company’s recent funding round, which raised $65 billion at a $965 billion valuation, lifted her net worth nearly 13-fold in a year, making her the second-richest self-made woman in America at age 38. The Anthropic co-founders have also announced plans to give away 80 percent of their wealth over time.

What she does: Runs the business and operations of an AI research and product company. 

Known for: Co-founding Anthropic and its mission-driven approach to building AI.

Judy Faulkner – The Healthcare Software Founder

Image Credit: UTHealth Houston – McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics

• Company: Epic Systems 
• Role: Founder and CEO 
• Headquarters: Verona, Wisconsin 
• Net Worth: $9.6 billion

Judy Faulkner founded Epic Systems in 1979 in Madison, Wisconsin, long before electronic medical records became common in hospitals. She had studied computer science and mathematics, and she built the company slowly without selling it or taking it public.

Today, Epic’s software holds medical records for a large share of patients in the United States, and its MyChart app lets patients view test results and book appointments. In her Giving Pledge letter, Faulkner promised to give 99 percent of her assets to philanthropy.

What she does: Leads a privately held healthcare software company used by hospitals across the country. 

Known for: Epic’s electronic health records and the MyChart patient app.

Peggy Cherng – The Co-Founder of Panda Express

Image Credit: Brinson Banks / Wikimedia Commons

• Company: Panda Restaurant Group 
• Role: Co-founder and co-chair 
• Headquarters: Rosemead, California 
• Net Worth: $8.3 billion

Peggy Cherng and her husband, Andrew Cherng, are immigrants who opened their first restaurant, Panda Inn, in Pasadena, California, in 1973. A decade later, they opened the first Panda Express in a shopping mall, creating a fast-casual format that spread across the country.

Panda Restaurant Group is now the largest Asian-American restaurant company in the United States, with more than 2,000 locations. Peggy has played a key role in the company’s technology and operations, and the couple has given millions of dollars to education and cancer research.

What she does: Co-leads America’s biggest Chinese-American restaurant chain. 

Known for: Panda Express, Panda Inn, and the Panda Cares charity foundation.

Marian Ilitch – The Little Caesars Co-Founder

Image Credit: Ilitch Holdings via Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

• Company: Little Caesars Pizza 
• Role: Co-founder 
• Headquarters: Detroit, Michigan 
• Net Worth: $7.6 billion

Marian Ilitch and her husband, Mike Ilitch, opened the first Little Caesars in 1959 in Garden City, Michigan. Marian handled much of the day-to-day work in the early years, and the business grew into a franchise with thousands of stores. Its “Pizza! Pizza!” deal helped make it famous for low prices.

Little Caesars is now one of the world’s largest pizza chains, and the Ilitch family has also expanded into sports and entertainment. The family owns the Detroit Red Wings and runs Ilitch Holdings, which also owns casinos and theaters.

What she does: Leads a family business empire spanning food, sports, and entertainment. 

Known for: Little Caesars pizza, the Detroit Red Wings, and Ilitch Holdings.

Johnelle Hunt – The Trucking Pioneer

Image Credit: Cushman & Wakefield | Sage Partners (Official Website)

• Company: J.B. Hunt Transport Services 
• Role: Co-founder 
• Headquarters: Lowell, Arkansas 
• Net Worth: $6.7 billion

Johnelle Hunt and her husband, J.B. Hunt, started their trucking company in 1961 in Arkansas with a small fleet of used trucks. Johnelle handled the paperwork and bookkeeping in the early years, while J.B. focused on growing the business.

J.B. Hunt Transport is now one of the largest freight and logistics companies in the country. At 94, Johnelle Hunt is the oldest woman on Forbes’ 2026 self-made list.

What she does: Co-founded and helped build one of America’s largest trucking and logistics firms. 

Known for: J.B. Hunt Transport Services and its nationwide freight and delivery network.

Judy Love – The Love’s Travel Stops Co-Founder

Image Credit: Love’s Travel Stops (Official Website)

• Company: Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores 
• Role: Co-founder 
• Headquarters: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 
• Net Worth: $6.0 billion

Judy Love and her husband, Tom Love, started their business in 1964 with a leased gas station in Watonga, Oklahoma, using a $5,000 loan from Tom’s parents. They built it up one station at a time, opening new locations across the Midwest and Southwest.

Today, Love’s operates hundreds of travel stops across the country and is still privately owned by the Love family. Judy has also been involved in philanthropy through the family’s charitable fund.

What she does: Helped build a privately held chain of travel stops and fuel stations. Known for: Love’s Travel Stops, the Love family’s long-running business, and charity work.

Oprah Winfrey – The Media Mogul

Image Credit: Oprah Winfrey via LinkedIn

• Company: Harpo Productions and OWN 
• Role: Founder and chair 
• Headquarters: Los Angeles, California 
• Net Worth: $3.4 billion

Oprah Winfrey was born in rural Mississippi and rose from local television news to host a national talk show. In 1986, she launched Harpo Productions and took ownership of her show, which became one of the most-watched programs in television history. She later launched O, The Oprah Magazine and, in 2011, the cable channel OWN.

In 2020, she sold most of her stake in OWN to Warner Bros. Discovery in exchange for company shares. Her business interests also include a book club, film and TV production, and investments in food and wellness brands, and she is one of the best-known philanthropists in the country.

What she does: Runs a media and production company and invests in consumer brands. 

Known for: The Oprah Winfrey Show, OWN, Harpo Productions, and Oprah’s Book Club.

Luana Lopes Lara – The Young Founder of Kalshi

Image Credit: Luana Lopes Lara via LinkedIn

• Company: Kalshi 
• Role: Co-founder and chief operating officer 
• Headquarters: New York, New York 
• Net Worth: $2.6 billion

Luana Lopes Lara was born in Brazil and trained as a professional ballerina before studying at MIT. She spent college summers working at the financial firms Bridgewater Associates and Citadel Securities, and later co-founded Kalshi with her classmate Tarek Mansour.

Kalshi is a regulated prediction market where people can trade on the outcome of real-world events. Forbes reports that Lopes Lara became the world’s youngest self-made woman billionaire in December 2025, at age 29, and her net worth has grown further after a $22 billion funding round in May 2026.

What she does: Helps run a fast-growing platform for trading on event outcomes. Known for: Co-founding Kalshi and becoming the youngest self-made woman billionaire.

Kim Kardashian – The Shapewear and Beauty Entrepreneur

Image Credit: Wikipedia / Kim Kardashian

• Company: SKIMS 
• Role: Co-founder 
• Headquarters: Los Angeles, California 
• Net Worth: About $1.9 billion

Kim Kardashian became famous through reality television and used that fame to build businesses. In 2019, she co-founded SKIMS, a shapewear and clothing brand, with Emma Grede. The brand focused on a wide range of sizes and skin tones and grew quickly through online sales.

SKIMS has since expanded into underwear, loungewear, swimwear, and retail stores, and its valuation has climbed into the billions of dollars. Kardashian also runs the skincare brand SKKN by Kim. Forbes places her at No. 25 on its 2026 self-made women list.

What she does: Co-runs a fast-growing fashion brand and a skincare line. 

Known for: SKIMS, SKKN by Kim, and turning a media career into a consumer brand.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who is the richest woman entrepreneur in the USA? 

Among self-made women, Diane Hendricks of ABC Supply is the richest, with a net worth of $21.7 billion on Forbes’ 2026 list.

Who is the richest woman in technology? 

Daniela Amodei of Anthropic is the highest-ranked woman in technology on the list, with an estimated $15.5 billion.

Who is the youngest woman on this list? 

Luana Lopes Lara, co-founder of Kalshi, is 30 and the youngest on the list.

Who is the oldest woman on this list? 

Johnelle Hunt, at 94, is the oldest of the women on Forbes’ 2026 self-made list.

Which woman entrepreneur started a healthcare software company? 

Judy Faulkner founded Epic Systems in 1979, and it is now one of the most widely used electronic health records providers in the US.

Which of these women built businesses with their husbands? 

Diane Hendricks, Peggy Cherng, Marian Ilitch, Johnelle Hunt, and Judy Love all co-founded their companies with their husbands.

Why are Thai Lee, Jayshree Ullal, and Lynda Resnick not on this list? 

This list covers founders and co-founders. Thai Lee and Jayshree Ullal lead their companies as CEOs, and Lynda Resnick is a co-owner of The Wonderful Company, so they appear in our list of top businesswomen instead.

Which woman entrepreneur is known for a media company? 

Oprah Winfrey built Harpo Productions and the OWN network.

How many self-made women billionaires are there in the USA? 

Forbes counted 43 in its 2026 ranking, up from 38 a year earlier.

Why do these ten women matter to everyday people? 

Their companies provide products and services people use daily, such as roofing supplies, pizza, fuel, healthcare software, AI tools, and clothing, and they employ hundreds of thousands of workers.

Conclusion

America’s women entrepreneurs have come a long way, creating businesses spanning from the traditional (roofing, trucking) to the cutting-edge (AI, shapewear). Diane Hendricks, Judy Faulkner, and Marian Ilitch, legendary businesswomen, built empires that took decades to build. However, the young and ambitious Daniela Amodei and Luana Lopes Lara were able to capitalize on the opportunities technology provided.

Thus, it can be asserted that the success of America’s entrepreneurial women is multifaceted and diverse. With women owning a tiny proportion of the nation’s homegrown wealth, there is a need for more women founders to take a bow as more women-owned businesses blossom in the coming years.