Here are America’s 26 self-made healthcare billionaires:
Note: Net worths are current as of Sept. 4.
54. Thomas Frist Jr., MD, $31.4 billion, founded Hospital Corp. of America in 1968.
312. Robert Duggan, $8.6 billion, led the 2015 sale of biotech firm Pharmacyclics to AbbVie.
435. Reinhold Schmieding, $6.9 billion, started orthopedic surgical tools company Arthrex in 1981 and still owns more than 90 percent of the company.
513. Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, $6.2 billion, was a practicing physician before inventing the cancer medication Abraxane.
748. Li Ge, $4.5 billion, co-founded WuXi AppTech, a provider of research and clinical trial services.
842. Leonard Schleifer, $4 billion, co-founded and remains CEO of drugmaker Regeneron.
1,172. Wayne Rothbaum, $2.9 billion, founded investment firm Quogue Capital in 2001 and became a successful biotech investor.
1,210. August Troendle, $2.8 billion, is the president and CEO of clinical research company Medpace.
1,340. George Yancopoulos, MD, PhD, $2.5 billion, is the chief scientific officer at biotech firm Regeneron.
1,381. Alan Miller and family, $2.4 billion, founded Universal Health Services, a chain of hospitals and health providers, in 1979.
1,388. Alice Schwartz, $2.4 billion, launched lab research facilitator Bio-Rad in 1952.
1,582. Phillip Frost, $2.1 billion, runs diagnostic-maker Opko Health.
1,675. Jeff Tangney, $2 billion, co-founded Doximity.
1,716. John Abele, $1.9 billion, cofounded medical device developer Boston Scientific in 1979.
1,727. Keith Dunleavy and family, $1.9 billion, is the founder of cloud-based data analytics company Inovalon.
1,781. James Leininger, MD, $1.9 billion, is the founder of medical device company Kinetic Concepts.
1,837. David Paul, $1.8 billion, is the founder and executive chair of spine manufacturer Globus Medical.
1,853. Gary Michelson, MD, $1.8 billion, is a retired orthopedic and spine surgeon who holds over 340 U.S. patents.
2,120. Timothy Springer, PhD, $1.5 billion, was a founding investor in Moderna and works as a professor of biochemistry at Boston-based Harvard Medical School.
2,172. Forrest Preston, $1.4 billion, founded Life Care Centers of America in 1970 to house and care for the elderly.
2,227. Randal Kirk, $1.4 billion, is chair of private equity firm Third Security and the former CEO of biotech firm Precigen.
2,323. Noubar Afeyan, $1.3 billion, is the founder and CEO of life sciences innovation firm Flagship Pioneering.
2,439. Roy Vagelos, $1.2 billion, is the founder and CEO of life sciences innovation firm Flagship Pioneering. He’s also the chairman and cofounder of biotech firm Moderna.
2,472. John Oyler, $1.2 billion, is the CEO and cofounder of biotech outfit BeiGene.
2,589. Hao Hong, $1.1 billion, is the chair of pharmaceutical outsourcing company Asymchem Laboratories.
2,651. Joe Kiani, $1.1 billion, runs medical technology firm Masimo Corp.
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