Diane Hendricks Is the Richest Self-Made Woman — How Did She Do It?

A decade and a half after roofing billionaire Ken Hendricks fell through a roof and died, Forbes recognized Diane Hendricks as the richest self-made woman in the world for five years in a row. Despite losing her husband, Hendricks has gone on to amass a major fortune. So, just how rich is Diane Hendricks today?

According to Forbes, a self-made woman didn't come from inherited wealth. Get the scoop on Hendricks’ net worth, plus how she made her fortune before and after her husband’s early death.

In 2012, Hendricks had an estimated net worth of $2.8 billion. In 2021, that number had ballooned to $11.1 billion. Today, it’s even higher. According to Forbes methodology, Hendricks has a self-made score of nine out of 10, meaning she is primarily self-made but circumstantially received a helping hand. As of February 2023, Hendricks is reportedly worth $12.2 billion.

In its 2022 iteration of America’s Richest Self-Made Women list, Forbes has put Henricks at the top for the fifth year running. During that same year, Hendricks found company in other major players, including Reese Witherspoon, who sold her production company Hello Sunshine to a Blackstone-backed group last year.

Hendricks founded roofing and building materials company ABC Supply in 1982 with her late husband. She continues to reside in Wisconsin, her home state.

Hendricks was born in 1947 to a pair of dairy farmers. One of nine sisters in her family, she eventually earned a high school diploma and got married, but divorced her first husband and married Ken 10 years later. For Hendricks, what started as a career selling custom-built homes turned into a fast-growing business venture on the backs of two married people.

Hendricks and her late husband launched ABC Supply on their own lines of credit. Today, ABC Supply is the largest wholesale roofing distributor in the U.S. (and one of the leading siding distributors, too).

Hendricks isn't a stranger to the Forbes list of wealthiest self-made women, but her net worth has grown a lot in recent years. In addition to ABC Supply, Hendricks also owns Hendricks Holding Co., whose portfolio includes companies in transportation, recycling, industrial, real estate, healthcare, and other sectors.

As for the husband's wealth, he had a net worth of $3.5 billion when he passed away and was the 91st richest person in the U.S. However, he was notoriously thrifty and retained his midwestern values. Hendricks has seven children with her late husband.

Despite leading a somewhat frugal lifestyle, Hendricks has been known to donate to Republican political campaigns, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who incorrectly blamed the tampon shortage on transgender people.

Hendricks is also a philanthropist, supporting WisconsinEye, Beloit College, Stateline Boys & Girls Club, and more. She has poured a lot of money into Beloit, rebuilding entire blocks and bringing business into the state of Wisconsin, but maintains a philanthropy score of just one out of 10 according to Forbes.

The ABC Supply founder maintains her wealth despite past tax controversies, including failing to pay state income taxes for four years during the early 2010s. She also underpaid property taxes on a fraudulently assessed multi-million dollar home.