The five richest physicians in the world built fortunes spanning biotech breakthroughs and healthcare empires, but their “self-made” status varies widely, from billionaire founders who started with little to those who leveraged family wealth and early advantages.
Editor’s note: Net worth is accurate as of April 10.
Here’s a breakdown of the Forbe’s “self made” score of the five richest physicians:
Net worth: $39.6 billion
Self-made score: 7, meaning he is largely self-made but got a head start from wealthy parents.
Dr. Frist co-founded HCA Healthcare with his father in 1968. While he no longer holds an executive role, he retains more than 20% ownership in the company. Both of his sons now serve on HCA’s board of directors.
Net worth: $9 billion
Self-made score: 9, meaning he came from a working-class background and rose from little to nothing.
Best known for developing the cancer drug Abraxane, Dr. Soon-Shiong sold two pharmaceutical companies — Abraxis in 2010 and American Pharmaceutical Partners in 2008 — for a combined $9.1 billion. He later took two ventures public: NantKwest in 2015 and NantHealth in 2016, both focused on cancer treatment and biotechnology.
Net worth: $3.8 billion
Self-made score: None listed, but noted as self-made
Dr. Troendle is the founder, president and CEO of Medpace, a clinical research organization where he holds a 24% ownership stake. Before launching Medpace, he worked at Sandoz (now Novartis), gaining industry experience that helped shape his entrepreneurial path.
Net worth: $2.8 billion
Self-made score: 8, meaning he’s a self-made entrepreneur who came from a middle-class or upper middle-class background.
Dr. Schleifer co-founded Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in 1988 and has served as its CEO since inception. He led the company through its IPO in 1991 and currently holds just under 4% of its stock. Regeneron is known for several FDA-approved drugs, including the blockbuster macular degeneration treatment Eylea.
Net worth: $1.7 billion
Self-made score: None listed, but noted as self-made
Currently CEO of diagnostics and pharmaceutical company Opko Health, Dr. Frost has a long history of biotech entrepreneurship. He helped revamp Key Pharmaceuticals in the 1970s before selling it for $836 million, and later sold Ivax, a company he founded in 1987, for $7.6 billion in 2005.
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