Two Indian-origin women on Forbes' list of richest self-made women
While the controversial inclusion of Kylie Jenner in Forbes' list of America's 60 richest self-made women stole the headlines, it's worth noting that two Indian-origin women also made to the list. Indian-origin tech executives Jayshree Ullal and Neerja Sethi were ranked 18th and 21st on Forbes' list, respectively, with both of them having a net worth of above $1bn. Here's more about them.
The 60 women hold a record $71bn collectively
The combined net worth of the 60 women is a record $71bn - 15% more than in 2017. The richest in the list is Diane Hendricks, the chair of wholesale roofing distributor ABC Supply, at $4.9bn. Ranked 60th is pop singer Taylor Swift with $320mn.
Jayshree Ullal was born in London, and raised in India
18th ranked Jayshree Ullal was born in London and raised in India. The 57-year-old has served as the President and CEO of computer networking firm Arista Networks since 2008. Currently, Ullal owns 5% of Arista Network's stocks, some of which she has earmarked for her two children, her nephew, and her niece. Ullal's net worth, according to Forbes' estimates, is $1.35bn.
Geography-wise, sector-wise break down of Forbes' list
Interestingly, 14 of the 60 women on Forbes' list were born outside the US. Meanwhile, the vast majority of women on the list, 27, hail from California. Sector-wise, 17 women made their fortunes in fashion and retail, 13 in technology, and 10 in media, entertainment.
Sethi is the Vice President of a company she co-founded
Meanwhile, 63-year-old Neerja Sethi is the Vice President of IT consulting and outsourcing company Syntel, a firm which she co-founded with her husband Bharat Desai in 1980 in their apartment in Troy, Michigan. In the first year of operations, Syntel managed a meagre $30,000 in sales. Since then, the company has consistently grown, and recorded $924mn in revenues in 2017. Sethi is worth $1bn.
