5 Michiganians make Forbes list of wealthiest Americans
Five Michigan billionaires have made Forbes list of the 400 wealthiest Americans for 2021 — and the names aren't much of a surprise.
Dan Gilbert
Ranked at No. 23 on the list, and the highest among all Michiganians, is 59-year old Quicken Loans founder and Chairman Dan Gilbert. Gilbert's net worth is listed by Forbes as $30.9 billion.
Quicken, which originated $320 billion in mortgages in 2020, went public as Rocket Companies in August 2020 at a $36 billion valuation. Gilbert is also the owner of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. So far, Gilbert and his companies have invested $5.6 billion to purchase and rehab a swath of buildings in downtown Detroit. He also cofounded online sneaker sale platform StockX, which is now valued at $3.8 billion.
Hank and Doug Meijer
No. 42 on the list are Hank and Doug Meijer of Grand Rapids. The brothers own the supermarket chain Meijer, which has 230 stores in the Midwest.
The brothers share a net worth of $16.9 billion, and still serve on the board of the company which brings in an estimated $19.5 billion in sales, Forbes said.
Their grandfather Hendrik, a Dutch immigrant, started the company back in 1934.
Mat Ishbia
Mat Ishbia of Bloomfield Hills, the president and CEO of mortgage lender United Wholesale Mortgage now, UWM Holdings, ranks No. 102 on Forbes' list.
Ishbia has a total net worth of $8.3 billion with a 69 percent stake in the company, which was founded by his attorney father Jeff in 1986 as a side gig.
Mat joined the firm in 2003 after graduating from Michigan State University and became the CEO in 2013. By 2015, UWM became America's largest wholesale lender.
Ronda Stryker
Ranked at 117 is Ronda Stryker, of Portage, who is the director of Stryker Corp, the medical equipment company that was founded by her grandfather Homer Stryker.
Stryker has a net worth of $7.5 billion with a 6 percent stake in the company that she inherited from her parents, Forbes said. She is the only one of her siblings to serve on the board.
Marian Ilitch
The final Michiganian comes in at 253: Marian Illtich, of Bingham Farms, who is the wife of deceased pizza mogul Mike Illitch. Together the couple founded Little Caesars Pizza in 1959.
Marian has a net worth of $4.4 billion as the current owner of the pizza chain that brings in more than $4 billion in annual sales, Forbes reported.
She also owns the Detroit Red Wings and MotorCity Casino Hotel — the Detroit Tigers are held by a family trust. Ilitch is helping build a $1.4 billion sports and entertainment district in Detroit that includes a new headquarters with pizza-shaped windows.
One notable name that fell off the list this year: Former President Donald J. Trump.