5 June 6-12, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | CuLture | Cafe | MusiC | BUCKING: THE TREND Seven Florida residents make Forbes list of richest self-made women. BY NAOMI FEINSTEIN I n Forbes’ annual ranking of the nation’s most successful women entrepreneurs, exec- utives, and entertainers, seven Florida residents appear alongside stars like Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Rihanna, and Kim Kardashian. The 2024 list, which ranks the wealthiest 100 women in the U.S. by net worth, includes a record 31 self-made billionaires — seven more than in 2023. The minimum wealth to qualify increased from $225 million to $300 million this year, the highest since the list launched in 2020. Wisconsin billionaire Diane Hendricks, cofounder of the roofing-material company ABC Supply, topped the rankings with a net worth of $20.9 billion as of May 28. Other no- table names include Oprah Winfrey at no. 14 with $3 billion, Rihanna at 23 with $1.4 bil- lion, and Swift, whose $1.3 billion net worth placed her one spot behind. Below, listed in descending order of wealth, are the seven Sunshine State women who made the grade this year. Safra Catz (no. 20) Safra Catz, who has served as the CEO of the software company Oracle since September 2014, has a net worth of $1.9 billion. The Fort Lauderdale resident was born in Israel and worked on Wall Street before eventually joining the software firm in 1999. Forbes reports that Catz is credited for leading the company’s “aggressive acquisition strategy.” The 62-year-old and her husband contributed $250,000 to Donald Trump’s fundraising committee in June 2020. Neerja Sethi (no. 27) Fisher Island resident Neerja Sethi co- founded IT consulting firm Syntel with her husband Bahart Desai in 1980, later selling the company to a French IT firm for $3.4 bil- lion in 2018. Sethi’s net worth is currently pegged at $1 billion. Martine Rothblatt (no. 42) A resident of Satellite Beach in Brevard County, Martine Rothblatt cofounded Sirius Satellite Radio (now SiriusXM) in 1990. After her daughter’s diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension, Rothblatt branched out into the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, founding the biotech company United Therapeutics in 1996. Now 69 years old, she came out as transgender in 1994 and has become an advocate for the transgender community. She chairs the board of United Therapeutics and boasts a net worth of $820 million. Judy Sheindlin (no. 58) Judy Sheindlin, better known as Judge Judy, thanks to her popular daytime court- room reality show, is a Naples resident with a net worth of $560 million. The 81-year-old made $47 million a year before taxes from 2012 to 2020, according to Forbes. She be- came the highest-paid TV host in 2018, after she sold the rights to her episode library to CBS for $100 million. Judge Judy officially went off the air in 2020 after nearly 30 years. She now hosts Judy Justice on Ama- zon Freevee. Lucy Guo (no. 64) Lucy Guo cofounded the artificial-intelli- gence company Scale AI in 2016, then left the company two years later and founded Passes, a social platform for creators to share in- sights, which she now runs. The 29-year-old has a net worth of $500 million. Though she lists Miami as her primary residence, her Ins- tagram indicates that she also spends time in Los Angeles. As New Times has previously noted, she also throws one hell of a rager. Doreen Granpeesheh (no. 87) Doreen Granpeesheh is a 61-year-old Marco Island resident and founder of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD). Born in Iran, Branpeesheh sold CARD to the private-equity firm Blackstone in 2018 in a $600 million deal. After CARD filed for bankruptcy, she bought back the company for $50 million and returned as CEO. Her net worth is valued at $390 million. Serena Williams (no. 97) Tennis legend Serena Williams is the only pro- fessional athlete to crack Forbes’ top 100. Con- sidered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Williams won 23 Grand Slam titles dur- ing her storied career. The 42-year-old, who has a net worth of $340 million, earned nearly $95 million in prize money alone, according to Forbes. She founded Serena Ventures, a ven- ture-capital firm, in 2017 and cofounded the lifestyle and recovery brand Will Perform five years later. Williams recently launched her production company, Nine Two Six Produc- tions, and a makeup brand, WYN Beauty. She and her sister Venus purchased a stake in the Miami Dolphins in 2009. [email protected] Lucy Guo comes in at no. 64 on Forbes’ list — but the homeowners’ association at One Thousand Museum might like to have a word. Photo by Phillip Pessar/Flickr, Screenshot via @nomadtechie/Instagram | METRO | THE MINIMUM WEALTH TO QUALIFY INCREASED FROM $225 MILLION TO $300 MILLION THIS YEAR.
