In 2024, 34 billionaires who made their wealth in the healthcare industry were featured on Forbes' annual list of the richest people in the world.
Nine of the billionaires made their fortunes selling, inheriting or starting medical device companies:
171. Carl Cook, $10.2 billion, is CEO of medical device manufacturer Cook Group.
282. Reinhold Schmieding, $7.7 billion, started orthopedic surgical tools company Arthrex in 1981 and still owns more than 90 percent of the company.
344. Ronda Stryker, $6.9 billion, is a director of medical equipment company Stryker Corp.
445. John Brown, $5.7 billion, ran Stryker Corp. for 32 years.
636. Jon Stryker, $4.3 billion, inherited a stake in Stryker Corp.
905. Pat Stryker, $3.2 billion, inherited a stake in Stryker Corp.
1647. Amy Wyss, $1.8 billion, worked at her father's medical equipment firm Synthes for years before it sold to Johnson & Johnson.
1725. James Leininger, MD, $1.7 billion, is the founder of medical device company Kinetic Concepts.
2020. David Paul, $1.4 billion, is the founder and executive chair of spine manufacturer Globus Medical.