1. Robert F. Smith ($8 Billion)
Robert Frederick Smith is the founder and CEO of private equity firm Vista Equity Partners. Robert has a bachelors degree from Cornell and an MBA from Columbia University. Vista Equity Partners focuses on acquiring enterprise software companies. As of 2023, Smith has an estimated net worth of $8 billion according to Forbes, and he has homes in Austin, Texas, Malibu, California, New York City, Denver, and Florida.
2. Oprah Winfrey ($2.5 Billion)
Oprah Winfrey’s claim to fame is as the creator and host of The Oprah Winfrey Show which ran for 25 years from 1986 to 2011. In 2018, Apple announced a new multi-year partnership for original content from Oprah for Apple’s streaming service Apple TV+. Oprah was the first black billionaire in America.
3. Jay-Z ($2.5 Billion)
Jay-Z’s first claim to fame is as a rapper. After gaining popularity, he also founded the entertainment company Roc Nation, founded the record label Roc-A-Fella Records, served as CEO of Def Jam Recordings from 2004-2007, founded the clothing retailer Rocawear, and founded the luxury sports bar chain 40/40 Club. In 2015, he acquired a tech company named Aspiro and took charge of their media streaming service Tidal. In 2020, he launched a line of Cannabis products called Monogram.
4. Michael Jordan ($2 Billion)
Michael Jordan earned less than $100 million from the NBA before he retired in 2003. However, MJ increased his net worth 20-fold over the next 20 years and is now worth $2 billion. His primary investments include the Charlotte Hornets (an NBA team) and royalties from Nike’s Jordan shoe brand.
5. Rihanna ($1.4 Billion)
Rihanna may not technically be an American (she was born in Barbados, still resides in Barbados part time, and is not a U.S. citizen), but she does regularly spend time living in Los Angeles. She made the core of her wealth through her singing career which included celebrity sponsorship opportunities from companies like Samsung. She also launched a series of perfume brands including Reb’l Fleur, Rebelle, Nude, and Rogue.
6. Tiger Woods ($1.1 Billion)
Tiger Woods is a professional golf player and is widely considered to be the best player in the world. Woods negotiated lucrative sponsorship deals with many companies including Nike, Titleist (a golf equipment company), American Express, General Motors, Accenture (a consulting company), and even Wheaties breakfast cereal.