10 of the richest LGBT people in the world, from Apple CEO Tim Cook and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel to fashion designer Michael Kors and music legend Elton John
Here are 10 of the richest LGBTQ+ people in the world.
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David Geffen
The co-founder of DreamWorks is worth US$9.9 billion, according to Forbes.
Starting as a Hollywood talent agent, David Geffen made the foundation of his fortune when he created record labels Asylum Records, Geffen Records and DGC Records. In 1994, he created the DreamWorks film studio with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Geffen also has a large real estate portfolio and a US$2 billion art collection.
In 2007, Out magazine called Geffen the most powerful gay man in the US.
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani began his career in the military after leaving medical school. In the 70s, he started designing menswear, but his career really took off when he started designing for Richard Gere in 1980. Since then, Armani’s brand has expanded into an empire, which includes accessories, interior design and hotels.
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Peter Thiel
The PayPal co-founder is worth US$5.2 billion.
In 1999, Peter Thiel co-founded the website, which was meant to be a simple way to exchange money via devices. He was CEO of the company up until eBay acquired PayPal, and his stake in the company was said to be worth US$55 million. Thiel was also an early investor of Facebook, and he founded a data analytics company, Palantir, which is valued at US$20 billion, according to Forbes.
He now lives with his husband, Matt Danzeisen, in Los Angeles.
Jon Stryker
The heir to a medical equipment company, Forbes reports Jon Stryker’s net worth to be US$4.4 billion.
Stryker’s grandfather founded Stryker Corporation, which is a medical supply company that sold US$14.9 billion in equipment in 2019, according to Forbes. One of the heirs to the family fortune, Stryker is a philanthropist who donates large sums of his money to charities and scholarships. So far, he has given away US$585 million.
Stryker also founded the Arcus Foundation, which fights for LGBTQ+ rights and ape conservation.
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Domenico Dolce
Fashion designer Domenico Dolce is worth US$2 billion.
After meeting in a club, Dolce and Stefano Gabbana started a fashion brand together in 1985. The company’s signature animal print made waves at fashion events and even caught the attention of Madonna, solidifying Dolce & Gabbana’s place in fashion history.
Jennifer Pritzker
Jennifer Pritzker, a hotel heiress, is the only openly transgender billionaire in the world.
A former lieutenant in the Army, Pritzker inherited part of the Hyatt hotel fortune, giving her a net worth of US$1.9 billion.
She came out as transgender in 2013 without much fanfare, but she made headlines in 2017 when former US president Donald Trump announced a ban on transgender people serving in the military. Before this, Pritzker supported Trump and donated large sums to his campaign, but the ban prompted her to support Biden in his bid for the presidency instead.
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Tim Cook
Cook became CEO of Apple in 2011 after the death of its founder, Steve Jobs. A decade later, the company is nearing a market value of nearly US$2 trillion, making Cook a billionaire. Despite his billionaire status, he lives in a relatively cheap home in Palo Alto. He came out as gay in 2014.
Michael Kors
Fashion designer Michael Kors used to be worth US$1 billion, but today, his fortune is estimated to be US$600 million.
Kors began his fashion design company in his mother’s basement in the 80s and turned it into an empire. In 2011, he took the company public when it was valued at US$3.5 billion. In 2004, he became a superstar when he became a judge on Project Runway. A decade later, Kors became a billionaire.
Today, he calls downtown New York City home with his husband, Lance LePere.
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Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres’ net worth is estimated at US$370 million, according to Forbes.
DeGeneres began her career as a stand-up comedian who eventually landed a successful sitcom titled Ellen in the late 90s. During that time, she came out as a lesbian and was blacklisted from Hollywood. In 2003, she made her return as a daytime talk show host – hers is still one of the most popular talk shows today.
She’s married to Portia de Rossi and they live in Los Angeles.
Elton John
Elton John has been in the music industry for decades, earning a fortune near US$500 million.
John began his music career in Britain and became known for his flamboyant and outrageous costumes. Quickly, he became a cultural phenomenon, launching his decade-spanning career. He still tours today and has sold over 300 million records, according to The Times.
John has been with his partner, David Furnish, for nearly three decades.
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This article originally appeared on Business Insider
- Jennifer Pritzker, the only transgender billionaire in the world, used to be a Donald Trump donor – but later supported Joe Biden
- Giorgio Armani attained success by designing for Richard Gere, while Dolce & Gabbana’s Domenico Dolce was noticed by Madonna