20 of the richest LGBTQ+ people in the world
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20 of the richest LGBTQ+ people in the world
Ellen DeGeneres attends the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
It’s no secret billionaires and millionaires are overwhelmingly composed of white, cisgender, heterosexual white men. However, as LGBTQ+ acceptance has made strides in recent decades, more and more high-profile people have become comfortable openly identifying as part of the community and advocating on their behalf in various industries. About 7.1% of Americans identify as LGBTQ+, according to a 2021 Gallup poll.
Naturally, some of the most financially successful LGBTQ+ people are celebrities—look at music legend Elton John or talk show star Ellen DeGeneres. Others, meanwhile, have gained ground in such industries as business, among them Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, kombucha mogul GT Dave, and Apple’s current CEO, Tim Cook. Fashion is another well-represented avenue, home to iconic gay fashion designers like Michael Kors, Stefano Gabbana, and Domenico Dolce.
To spotlight some of these successful individuals, Stacker has compiled a list of 20 of the wealthiest LGBTQ+ people worldwide. To do so, we sourced official data from the Forbes Real Time Billionaires list, Celebritynetworth.com, and news reports. However, it’s also worth acknowledging that this is not a comprehensive list. We acknowledge there may be many wealthy individuals who choose not to be public about their LGBTQ+ identities. This data is up to date as of Jan. 11, 2023, unless otherwise noted. Individuals are listed in ascending order of net wealth.
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Caitlyn Jenner
Caitlyn Jenner attends event.
– Net worth (USD): $100 million
– Wealth source: Television, athletics
– LGBTQ+ identity: Transgender
– Age: 73
– Country: United States
Caitlyn Jenner first rose to fame for her career as a decathlete, winning the Olympic gold medal in the men’s decathlon at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. Although Jenner enjoyed various media opportunities after her gold medal win, she later became primarily associated with the reality series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” which centered on her blended family with ex-wife Kris Jenner. In 2015, Jenner became one of the most high-profile trans women in the world when she came out in a “20/20” interview with Diane Sawyer.
Todd Williamson // Getty Images
Megan Ellison
Megan Ellison speaks at Producers Guild Awards.
– Net worth (USD): $200 million
– Wealth source: Movies
– LGBTQ+ identity: Lesbian
– Age: 36
– Country: United States
Lesbian film producer Megan Ellison was born into wealth as the daughter of billionaire Larry Ellison. However, she became a notable Hollywood figure in her own right, producing successful Hollywood films like “True Grit,” “The Master,” and “Her.” In 2011, Ellison founded Annapurna Pictures, her own film and production company.
Nicholas Hunt // Getty Images
Martine Rothblatt
Martine Rothblatt speaks onstage during Forbes Women’s Summit.
– Net worth (USD): $380 million
– Wealth source: Law, biotechnology
– LGBTQ+ identity: Transgender
– Age: 68
– Country: United States
Trans CEO Martine Rothblatt became the highest-paid woman CEO in the United States in 2013, earning $38 million. Rothblatt started as a space law attorney before pursuing other ventures, including co-founding the radio giant SiriusXM. She also founded the pharmaceutical company United Therapeutics Corporation, partially as a means of seeking treatment for her daughter, who was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, a rare disease.
Ramin Talaie/Corbis via Getty Images
Chris Hughes
Chris Hughes speaks during the TechCrunch Disrupt conference.
– Net worth (USD): $500 million
– Wealth source: Facebook, politics, media
– LGBTQ+ identity: Gay
– Age: 39
– Country: United States
Chris Hughes first came to wealth and fame by co-founding Facebook with his then-Harvard roommate Mark Zuckerberg. The gay entrepreneur later spearheaded Barack Obama’s online campaign during the former president’s 2008 presidential run. Hughes also served as editor-in-chief of the political magazine The New Republic.
Tasos Katopodis // Getty Images for Live Nation
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres speaks onstage during the Michelle Obama: The Light We Carry Tour.
– Net worth (USD): $500 million
– Wealth source: Television
– LGBTQ+ identity: Lesbian
– Age: 64
– Country: United States
Lesbian TV personality and host Ellen DeGeneres is best known for her eponymous sitcom “Ellen,” as well as her long-running talk show “The Ellen Show.” At its peak, DeGeneres earned a $60 million salary from her talk show alone. DeGeneres is also known for voicing the amnesiac fish Dory in the Pixar films “Finding Nemo” and “Finding Dory.”
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Erika Goldring // Getty Images
Elton John
Elton John performs during the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.
– Net worth (USD): $550 million
– Wealth source: Music, movies
– LGBTQ+ identity: Gay
– Age: 75
– Country: United Kingdom
Gay musician Elton John is one of history’s most commercially successful artists. He’s sold over 300 million albums worldwide and has also won an Oscar, Golden Globe, and Tony Award. While the musician has been a mainstay in the music industry since the 1960s, he officially came out via a Rolling Stone interview in 1992.
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
Michael Kors
Michael Kors attends the 2021 CFDA Fashion Awards.
– Net worth (USD): $600 million
– Wealth source: Luxury goods
– LGBTQ+ identity: Gay
– Age: 63
– Country: United States
Gay fashion designer Michael Kors is one of the most successful American fashion designers working today. He’s known for running his eponymous brand, where he serves as the chief creative director. Kors has been open about his experiences with coming out and being active in the LGBTQ+ community over the decades, including the impact the AIDS epidemic had on his friends and loved ones.
Taylor Hill // Getty Images
Jann Wenner
Jann Wenner speaks in conversation with Bruce Springsteen at 92NY.
– Net worth (USD): $600 million
– Wealth source: Rolling Stone magazine
– LGBTQ+ identity: Gay
– Age: 77
– Country: United States
Jann Wenner is best known as the co-founder of the iconic music magazine Rolling Stone and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, respectively. In 1995, he began a relationship with his partner, fashion designer Matt Nye. He also had a cameo in the 2000 film “Almost Famous,” which follows a teenage boy given the opportunity to write a Rolling Stone story about an up-and-coming ’70s band.
Dia Dipasupil // Getty Images
Clive Davis
Clive Davis attends the Clive Davis Gallery Ribbon Cutting at New York University.
– Net worth (USD): $850 million
– Wealth source: Music
– LGBTQ+ identity: Bisexual
– Age: 90
– Country: United States
Clive Davis is a prominent music executive and producer who has worked with iconic musicians like Whitney Houston, Kelly Clarkson, Janis Joplin, and Jennifer Hudson. Originally a lawyer with CBS, Davis later founded Arista Records, which got its big break after signing Houston. Davis came out as bisexual in his 2013 memoir “The Soundtrack of My Life” and has said he hoped his coming out would lead to a “greater understanding” of bisexuality in society.
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GT Dave
Hand holding a bottle of GT’s Living Foods Kombucha.
– Net worth (USD): $1 billion (as of April 2021)
– Wealth source: Kombucha, self-made
– LGBTQ+ identity: Gay
– Age: 46
– Country: United States
Kombucha mogul GT Dave became the first entrepreneur to commercialize the popular drink. Today, his company, GT’s Kombucha, controls around 40% of the American kombucha market and has expanded to new drinks like CBD water. Dave has opened up about his coming-out journey as an openly gay entrepreneur as a way to break stereotypes.
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Stefano Gabbana
Stefano Gabbana arrives at event.
– Net worth (USD): $1.3 billion
– Wealth source: Luxury goods
– LGBTQ+ identity: Gay
– Age: 60
– Country: Italy
Stefano Gabbana is one half of the famed fashion house Dolce & Gabbana. After founding the company with his ex-partner Domenico Dolce in 1985, they got their big break when Madonna tapped them to design costumes for her 1993 “Girlie Show” tour. Although Dolce and Gabanna broke up in the early 2000s, they still own and co-run Dolce & Gabbana.
Vittorio Zunino Celotto // Getty Images
Domenico Dolce
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana wave from runway at fashion show.
– Net worth (USD): $1.3 billion
– Wealth source: Luxury goods
– LGBTQ+ identity: Gay
– Age: 64
– Country: Italy
Domenico Dolce is the other half of the fashion house Dolce & Gabbana, which he runs with ex-partner Stefano Gabbana. In 2013, the pair courted controversy when they were sentenced to a 20-month suspended sentence in prison due to alleged tax evasion (which was later appealed and cleared). Along with Gabbana, Dolce has designed for celebrities like Monica Bellucci, Isabella Rossellini, and Angelina Jolie.
Justin Sullivan // Getty Images
Tim Cook
Tim Cook stands next to a display of laptops during the WWDC22.
– Net worth (USD): $1.7 billion
– Wealth source: Apple
– LGBTQ+ identity: Gay
– Age: 62
– Country: United States
Tim Cook has remained the CEO of Apple since 2011, after having worked for the company since 1998. In 2014, he became the first chief executive of a Fortune 500 company to come out as gay. Cook has openly supported gay issues and voiced concern in March 2022 over anti-LGBTQ+ laws in America.
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Jennifer Pritzker
Colonel Jennifer Pritzker and Brenda Cossman pose for pictures at Hyatt Hotel.
– Net worth (USD): $1.8 billion
– Wealth source: Hotels, investments
– LGBTQ+ identity: Transgender
– Age: 72
– Country: United States
Jennifer Pritzker made history as the world’s first openly transgender billionaire. Pritzker is one of several billionaires within the powerful Chicago Pritzker family, which invested its money in hotels (specifically, Hyatt Hotels). Pritzker first came out as transgender in 2013.
Larsen, Haakon Mosvold/AFP via Getty Images
Stein Erik Hagen
Stein Erik Hagen holds a press conference in Oslo.
– Net worth (USD): $2.3 billion
– Wealth source: Consumer goods
– LGBTQ+ identity: Bisexual
– Age: 66
– Country: Norway
Norwegian entrepreneur Stein Erik Hagen became a billionaire thanks to the supermarket chain RIMI, which he co-founded with his father in 1977. Hagen came out as bisexual in a 2015 TV interview, revealing he realized his sexuality at age 30. “All of my friends … it comes as no surprise to them,” he said at the time.
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Marco Bello // Getty Images
Peter Thiel
Peter Thiel holding money as he speaks during the Bitcoin 2022 Conference.
– Net worth (USD): $4.1 billion
– Wealth source: Facebook, investments
– LGBTQ+ identity: Gay
– Age: 55
– Country: Germany, United States, and New Zealand
Peter Thiel first made his fortune as the first outside investor in Facebook. He went on to found the digital-payment service PayPal as well as the data intelligence company Palantir. After serving on former President Donald Trump’s transition team, he came out as gay at the 2016 Republican National Convention.
Bennett Raglin // Getty Images for GLSEN
Jon Stryker
Jon Stryker attends 2015 GLSEN Respect Awards.
– Net worth (USD): $4.2 billion
– Wealth source: Medical equipment
– LGBTQ+ identity: Gay
– Age: 65
– Country: United States
Jon Stryker comes from a wealthy, influential family, the grandson of the co-founder of the medical equipment company Stryker Corporation. Although he maintains a stake in the company, he works as the president and founder of the Arcus Foundation, which supports LGBTQ+ rights and animal conservation. Stryker has given away $675 million throughout his lifetime, including $15 million to the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation on behalf of LGBTQ+ advocacy.
David Banks // Getty Images
Laura Ricketts
Laura Ricketts claps during a Chicago Cubs baseball game.
– Net worth (USD): $4.5 billion (entire family wealth)
– Wealth source: TD Ameritrade, sports team owners
– LGBTQ+ identity: Lesbian
– Age: 55
– Country: United States
Laura Ricketts is the daughter of billionaire stock trading titan Joe Ricketts. She and her three siblings are the majority owners of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. An openly lesbian entrepreneur, Laura is on the board of numerous LGBTQ+ organizations, including Lambda Legal and GayCo Productions.
Daniele Venturelli // Getty Images
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani poses on the runway during Milan Men’s Fashion Week.
– Net worth (USD): $7.2 billion
– Wealth source: Luxury goods
– LGBTQ+ identity: Bisexual
– Age: 88
– Country: Italy
Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani is the founder of the luxury brand company that bears his name, which he began in 1975. However, Armani got his big break when he began designing for Richard Gere in 1980. The designer opened up about his bisexuality in a 2000 Vanity Fair interview, saying: “I have had women in my life. And sometimes men.”
Michael Kovac // Getty Images for YES 20th Anniversary Gala
David Geffen
YES Gala Co-Chairs David Geffen and Mellody Hobson speak onstage at event.
– Net worth (USD): $7.7 billion
– Wealth source: Movies, record labels
– LGBTQ+ identity: Gay
– Age: 79
– Country: United States
Gay Hollywood mogul David Geffen is best known for co-creating DreamWorks film studio with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg. He’s also created the record labels Asylum Records, DGC Records, and Geffen Records. According to Business Insider, he owns a $2 billion art collection.
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