On Forbes’ List of the Richest Billionaires in the Technology Sector, Only Five Women

On Forbes’ list of the 100 richest people in the world from the technology sector for 2016, only five spots were occupied by women. Four are entrepreneurs who amassed their wealth by founding their own companies in industries such as online gambling, medical software development, and smartphone screen manufacturing. Two come from the USA and Hong Kong, and one from the United Kingdom.

Billionaires Who Built Their Wealth Through Their Work

The combined wealth of all five women amounts to $18.1 billion, and their average net worth is $3.6 billion, which is significantly less than the $8.9 billion average for the entire list.

The richest woman is Zhou Quanfei from Hong Kong, whose wealth is estimated at a net worth of $6.4 billion. She is the majority owner of one of the world’s largest manufacturers of screens for smartphones and tablets, Lens Technology. Born in a poor rural area in China, she worked in a glass factory before starting her own company.

Second is Denise Coat, founder of the online casino Bet365, whose wealth is estimated at $3.8 billion. In the past year, her net worth has increased by $900 million. She shares the company with her brother.

Lam Way Ying‘s wealth is estimated at $3 billion net. Her company is also located in Hong Kong and specializes in manufacturing screens for mobile phones, specifically for Apple. She owns 49% of the Biel Crystal factory, which employs 100,000 people, while her husband owns the majority 51%.

The Number of Women Billionaires is Increasing Compared to Men

Judi Faulkner is at the helm of Epic Systems, which was founded in 1979. This is a company that holds the documentation for half of the US population. The company reported $2 billion in revenue last year. Estimates suggest that Judi owns only a third of the company, and her wealth is estimated at $2.7 billion.

Meg Whitman is the only one in the group who became wealthy by leading a company she did not found herself. After serving as CEO for Hasbro and Walt Disney, she moved to eBay. From 1997, when she joined the company, until 2008, when she left, revenues grew from $5.7 million to $8 billion.

This year’s list did not include three billionaires who were on last year’s list, as Forbes changed its criteria this year and no longer includes wealth acquired through inheritance. Those on the previous list included Laurene Powell Jobs, who inherited shares in Apple and Disney after the death of her husband Steve Jobs, Dagmar Dolby, who took over shares in Dolby Laboratories after her husband Ray Dolby passed away, and Swiss heiress Eva Marie Bucher Haefner, who inherited a stake in Computer Associates.