There are 88 self-made female billionaires across the world with a combined wealth of $194 billion, according to a list from the “Hurun Global Rich List 2017 series.”
The Hurun Report, which was established as a research unit in 1999 by British accountant Rupert Hoogewerf, found that a majority of self-made female billionaires come from China, with 56 individuals while the US was in second place with 15.
“For every one self-made woman billionaire we found, we have missed at least one if not more, so you can bet your bottom dollar that the real number of self-made women dollar billionaires in the world is no less than 200 today,” said Rupert Hoogewerf, Chairman and Chief Researcher of Hurun Report, in a statement.
So Business Insider decided to take a look at just the top 9 self-made female billionaires. All valuations are accurate as of January 15, 2017.
9. Peggy Cherng & husband Andrew Cherng — Net worth $4.4 billion. Cherng and her husband found their fortune through Panda Express in the US, which is now one of the world’s largest family-owned restaurant chains.
8. Zhang Yin — Net worth $4.5 billion. The 60-year-old founded her massive company Nine Dragons Paper, which originated from building a big scrap paper trading business out of California before creating her own factories in China.
7. Wu Yajun— Net worth $4.6 billion. The 53-year-old from China started her career as a journalist but became incredibly wealthy after founding her real estate brand Longfor.
6. Judy Love & husband Tom Love — Net worth $4.8 billion. Love and her husband cofounded the fuel station and services chain Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores in 1964 and now it has more than 420 locations in 40 states in the US.
5. Chen Chunmei & husband Gong Hongjia — Net worth $5.3 billion. The 52-year-old from China derives her wealth from one of the world’s largest supplier of video surveillance products, Hikvision Digital Technology.
T=3. Tina Green & husband Philip Green — Net worth $5.5 billion. The 64-year-old (middle) is from Britain but is now based in Monaco with her husband who runs the retail giant Arcadia . She owns all the family shares in Jersey-registered Taveta Investments, which owns Arcadia.
T=3. Zhou Hongwen & husband Xiao Jianhua — Net worth $5.5 billion. The co-founder of the corporate consulting giant Tomorrow Group hit the headlines this year after her husband Xiao went missing after being “abducted” from the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong.
2. Zhou Qunfei — Net worth $6 billion. The 47-year-old from China jumped to the top of the list in 2015 when her Lens Technology group went public. But before she set up her company, she was born into poverty in rural China and worked on a shop floor.
1. Chen Lihua — Net worth $7.2 billion. The now-Beijing based 76-year-old, also known as Chan Laiwa, grew up in poverty before becoming, arguably, the world’s most successful businesswoman. she runs the investment company FuWah and is married to a well-known actor Chi Zhongrui.
