Little Caesars owner tops Forbes’ list of wealthiest self-made women
May 23, 2017, 1:46 PM | Updated: 8:37 pm
(AP Photo)
PHOENIX — Who knew a little talking cartoon saying, “Pizza, pizza” would be such a hit?
Marian Ilitch, the woman who owns Little Caesars pizza — and the pizza-loving cartoon character — topped Forbes’ list of the wealthiest self-made women.
The magazine said Ilitch was ranked sixth last year, but rose to the No. 1 spot after her fortune increased by $3 billion last year. Forbes estimated Ilitich was worth $5.1 billion following the death of her husband, Mike.
Ilitich also has holdings in the MotorCity Casino Hotel and the Detroit Red Wings. The magazine did not add her husband’s stake in the Detroit Tigers to her wealth, as that has been placed in a family trust.
Only one celebrity, Oprah Winfrey, appeared in the magazine’s top 10. It was estimated the former talk show host was worth $2.9 billion, good enough for the No. 3 spot. Other celebrities — such as Madonna, Taylor Swift, Celine Dion and Beyonce Knowles — were on the list, albeit further down.
Swift was the youngest woman on the list at 27. She was estimated to be worth $270 million.
The richest newcomer on the list was Anne Dinning, who has amassed an estimated worth of $600 million after working for D.E. Shaw, a Wall Street hedge fund firm. She was 30th on the list.
California was home to 23 women on the list, the largest number of any state. None lived in Arizona.
You can see the 10 wealthiest self-made women in the slideshow below.