According to a list of 1,600 billionaires and millionaires published by Forbes, only 0.4 percent are openly gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. These outliers, many of whom are entrepreneurs and CEOs of top companies, have found the courage to speak openly about their sexuality, making ordinary or great people who are afraid to come out realize that they are not alone. Let's take a look at 10 of the richest and most successful gay people in the world.
10, Lord BrowneLord Browne is the CEO of BP, an oil and gas company notorious in the media for being involved in a number of nasty incidents. Long before Brown decided to speak openly about his sexuality, he was outed by a tabloid newspaper because he had long kept his sexual identity a secret for fear of being ridiculed by his colleagues.
9. Jon StrykerIn the 1980s, architect and activist Jon Stryker was born in the United States. Stryker inherited the healthcare company Stryker Corporation from his grandfather, who campaigned to keep his position as a financial giant. Since then, the legion of Strykers, led by Jon Stryker, has earned a whopping $9 billion by selling medical equipment and software around the world. Stricker, who is openly gay, does not provide generous financial support for gay rights initiatives and is a reformer himself. He is worth more than $1.8 billion.
8, Jennifer PritzkerJennifer Pritzker is one of the richest families in the United States. As a colonel in the U.S. Army, she has donated millions of dollars to gay charities. As James, she announced her decision to become a woman and began gender reassignment surgery in 2013, thus becoming one of the first billionaires and high-ranking military officials to openly identify as transgender. Her net worth is $1.5 billion.
7. Domenico Dolce and Stefano GabbanaDolce & Gabbana is one of the world's most popular, successful, and top luxury fashion brands, founded and ****own*** by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Dolce is gay and isn't afraid to show it, although there has always been some arrogance and condescension towards fashion designers and their sexuality. But, when it comes to Dolce, his sexuality has had so much impact that he's never had the chance to make headlines or do anything great. Dolce's net worth is $1.5 billion.
6. Peter ThielPeter Thiel is the co-founder of PayPal, the world's largest online trading system, which makes him taller than most major internet entrepreneurs. He is also an outside investor in Facebook, with profits of slightly over $700. in 2003, he came out to his friends as gay. According to some, homosexuality played a role in his overall commitment to changing the norms of venture capital. His net worth is $2.2 billion.
5. Michael? ColesMichael? Coles is a fashion mogul known for his eponymous company that designs and produces women's clothing. The company went public in 2011 and now has a six-figure market capitalization, but it hasn't been without the ups and downs that Coles has faced. the company went bankrupt in 1993, but Coles redeemed himself in 2004. As a judge on the TV show Runway Fever), he became a household name. His business helped him earn a net worth of $1 billion.
4. Chris HughesChris Hughes is one of the founders of Facebook, a popular social media network. While in college, he was the roommate of the most popular co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, helped write the programs and code for the earliest forms of the site, and served as the site's spokesperson. After graduating from Harvard, he joined the team. He is now the editor-in-chief of The New **** and Magazine.After marrying Sean Eldridge in 2012, he has a net worth of $800 million.
3. Jane WinnerJane Winner is the co-founder and publisher of the bi-weekly magazine Rolling Stone. He also owns Men's Journal and Us Weekly. His coworkers, who had worked with him since the 1960s, reportedly knew he was gay, and in 1995, the Wall Street Journal reported that he had broken up with his then-wife and started dating men, which strongly confirmed his sexual orientation. He made $700 million from his media empire.
2. Tim? CookTim Cook is the CEO of Apple Inc. is the latest to join the list of the most successful gay community when he officially came out publicly when he discussed sexuality in the October 30, 2014 issue of BusinessWeek, sparking a storm across the world and social media networks. He acknowledged his sexuality because he thought it might help those who do not yet identify with their sexuality. His net worth is over $400 million dollars.
1. David GeffenDavid Geffen is one of the most powerful and richest business magnates. He used his fake UCLA degree to get himself a job in a mailroom. Eventually, he founded Geffen Records and Shelter and co-founded DreamWorks Studios. He now owns about $1 billion worth of Apple stock, and in 2007 he admitted to being gay when Out magazine listed him at the top of its list of "America's Most Powerful Gay Men and Women". David Geffen tops the list of gay billionaires at nearly $7 billion.