TIL about the richest self-made woman in America
Have you ever heard of Diane Hendricks?
She's 78 years old and the co-founder and chair of ABC Supply, the nation's largest wholesale distributor of roofing, windows, gutters, and siding. She's worth over $22 billion today.
She built the company with her late husband, Ken. They've officially been in business since 1982. Diane Hendricks is the child of dairy farmers. She had her first child out of wedlock at just 17 years old, but that clearly didn't let that hold her back from achieving career success (nor family success, for that matter; she has seven children in total).
What interests me the most is that she was born in Mondovi, Wisconsin and raised in Osseo, Wisconsin. Both of these small towns are ~30 min. drive from where I grew up. I competed against Mondovi and Osseo schools in every sport throughout middle school and high school.
I was blown away that such a notable person came from somewhere so close to home. I knew about the loud and proud John Menard ($20B), who graduated from the same high school as I did, but I thought he was the only one. Turns out Diane Hendricks is another. Perhaps there is something special about western Wisconsin after all.