The Mothers of Billionaires: Who Was Behind the Success of Musk, Jan Koum, Akhmetov, and Pinchuk
Raising a successful businessman begins with developing his mindset, entrepreneurial spirit, and resilience in the face of failure—not with money. This is confirmed by the experiences of the mothers of billionaires and innovators, who, even in the most dire circumstances and often without the support of their husbands, raised outstanding sons who went on to join the ranks of the world’s wealthiest people.
On the global Forbes list, at least 25 self-made billionaires were raised primarily by single mothers. Among them are the founders and owners of companies such as SpaceX, WhatsApp, Home Depot, and other innovative giants. Their mothers faced difficult circumstances: some fled abusive husbands or were widowed at a young age. Often, they had to hold down multiple jobs, putting their own dreams on hold. They put their children first and supported them no matter what.
For example, Elon Musk’s mother was forced to hold down five jobs after moving to Canada. The mother of WhatsApp creator Jan Koum, after moving from Ukraine to California, lived on disability benefits while her teenage son worked as a janitor.
“The burden of poverty and the bitter taste of helplessness have left an indelible mark on my heart. That is what fuels me to this day,” says Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing. At age 15, he left school and went to work to support his family.
The wealthiest people in Ukraine, whose companies are currently providing jobs and paying taxes during the war, can share similar memories. For many Ukrainian businessmen, their mothers were also the most important people in their lives. They provided them with the best education, instilled discipline, shaped their ambitions, and inspired them by their own example.
UA.News tells the stories of billionaires whose mothers played the most important role in their upbringing.
Elon Musk
Net worth: $827.9 billion
Mother: Maye Musk
Main source of income: Tesla, SpaceX
Maye Musk was forced to start a new chapter in her life after divorcing her abusive husband. She built a career as a dietitian and nutritionist, constantly seeking clients through cold calls and waiting in the reception areas of medical facilities. After dropping out of the University of Cape Town, May moved her son to Canada to protect him from mandatory military service in South Africa and open the door to the world of computer technology in the U.S. After moving, May literally lived paycheck to paycheck. The Musk family rented a small apartment: May and her daughter got the bedroom, while Elon slept on the living room couch. May raised her children while teaching nutrition, working as a researcher at the University of Toronto, and modeling. She has graced the covers of many popular magazines and fashion publications, such as Elle Canada, Time, and the New York Post. In 2018, at nearly 70 years old, Maye Musk became the oldest model to appear on the cover of CoverGirl magazine.
Alongside her successful modeling career, she is also a memoirist and is preparing to release her third book. Maye Musk travels constantly and frequently visits the UAE, where she attends social events, particularly those organized by the international Leo Beauty Club network.
Li Ka-shing
Net worth: $50.1 billion
Mother: Zhang Biquin
Main source of income: CK Hutchison Holdings
When Li was just 15 years old, his father died of tuberculosis. The future billionaire had to drop out of school to support his mother in war-torn Hong Kong. Ka-Shing worked at a plastic manufacturing plant for 16 hours a day to provide for his family. In an interview, he once admitted that the burden of poverty and the bitter experience of helplessness and isolation left an indelible mark on his heart. According to him, this became the source of inspiration and the driving force throughout his life. Today, the CK Hutchison Holdings conglomerate generates over $65 billion in annual revenue, operating in various sectors—from retail to infrastructure solutions and telecommunications.
Yang Kum
Net worth: $17 billion
Mother: Faina Koum
Main source of income: WhatsApp
When Faina Koum’s son was 16, they moved from Ukraine to Mountain View, California, due to the difficult political situation in their homeland. Settling into public housing, Faina began working as a nanny, while her son, still a teenager, took on a part-time job mopping floors at a grocery store so they could make ends meet. After Faina was diagnosed with cancer, the family lived on her disability benefits. In 2000, Faina passed away. Fourteen years later, in 2014, her son signed a deal to sell the messaging app WhatsApp to Meta for $19 billion. Symbolically, the contract was signed in the social services office where he had once visited with his mother.
Arthur Blank
Net worth: $10.4 billion
Mother: Molly Blank
Main source of income: Home Depot retail chain
Arthur Blank’s father died when the boy was only 15 years old. His mother, Molly, took over the management of the family’s struggling farm business. At the time, she was 37 years old and was left alone with two children to raise, with no experience in business. She worked late into the night almost every day, trying to support the family. They lived in a small apartment in Queens, where the future founder of Home Depot witnessed her self-sacrifice: Molly gave up her bedroom to him and his brother, while she slept on a pull-out sofa. After her death in 2015, when Molly was 99 years old, Blank said that she had taught him the most valuable lesson in business—to stay focused and never give up, even in the most difficult circumstances.
Thomas Tull
Net worth: $5.3 billion
Mother: No data available
Main source of income: Legendary Entertainment
Thomas Tull grew up with a single mother on the outskirts of the small town of Binghamton, New York. His mother worked two jobs to support the family, and young Thomas helped out as best he could: mowing lawns in the summer and shoveling snow in the winter. These life lessons of hard work and perseverance laid the foundation for his future success. Many years later, Tull founded the film studio Legendary Entertainment, which gave the world such blockbusters as “Interstellar” and “The Dark Knight.” In 2015, he successfully sold his studio for a hefty sum—$3.5 billion.
John Paul DeJoria
Net worth: $3.1 billion
Mother: Evanthia DeJoria
Main source of income: the Paul Mitchell hair care line and The Patron Spirits Company
Evanthia DeJoria, John Paul’s mother, moved from Greece to the United States as a child. She grew up in a small one-bedroom house in a Los Angeles neighborhood. To be able to work, Evanthia had to send her two sons to boarding school, bringing them home only on weekends. However, even in such difficult circumstances, she never lost her optimism. John Paul recalls how once, when they were in middle school, his mother came to pick them up on a Friday and said frankly: “We only have 27 cents, but there’s food in the fridge, a garden growing behind the house, and we’re happy. So that means we’re rich.” John Paul credits his achievements first and foremost to his mother, who taught him to appreciate life and always find happiness even when circumstances seem hopeless.
Hayes Barnard
Net worth: $2.9 billion
Mother: Didi Barnard
Main source of income: fintech, GoodLeap
After going through two divorces—first from the man she married in her youth, and later from Hayes’s father, who turned out to be an alcoholic—Didi settled in Missouri, raising Barnard in a small apartment. She worked three jobs, trying to earn enough for at least food and laundry services. Every day she went to the self-service laundromat, clutching a few coins in her hand to wash clothes. “I only had one set of football uniforms,” Hayes shares. “If Mom hadn’t washed it every night, I would have had to play in dirty clothes. In that, I saw her care and hard work, but also her vulnerability.”
Kenny Traut
Net worth: $1.7 billion
Mother: Nadine Adams
Main source of income: sale of Excel Communications, WinStar Farm
Kenny grew up in public housing in Mount Vernon, Illinois, where from childhood he watched his mother struggle to make ends meet. She worked as a bartender and a cook in the school cafeteria. Trautt himself had to work as an insurance agent to pay for his college education. However, his company, Excel Communications, eventually became one of the leaders in the telecommunications market.
Rinat Akhmetov
Mother: Nakiya Nasredinovna Akhmetova
Net worth: $7.8 billion
Main source of income: SCM Investment Group
Rinat Akhmetov’s mother came from a family of Volga Tatars. In her youth, she worked as a saleswoman while raising two sons. The billionaire’s childhood was modest; the family lived in an old house in the “Severny” mining neighborhood on the outskirts of Donetsk. Akhmetov has always spoken of his mother with great respect and for a long time listed her among the official shareholders of his investment group. She is also a member of SCM’s supervisory board.
Viktor Pinchuk
Mother: Sofia Yosypivna Pinchuk
Net worth: $2.31 billion
Main source of income: Interpipe
The billionaire’s parents were engineers; specifically, Sofia Yosypivna was the head of the Department of Coatings, Composite Materials, and Metal Protection at the National Metallurgical Academy of Ukraine, a Doctor of Technical Sciences, a professor, an academician of the Academy of Sciences of Higher Education of Ukraine, and an Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine. According to Viktor Pinchuk’s own recollections, the family lived very modestly, yet always placed great emphasis on his education. The billionaire’s mother’s life motto: “Work, work, work. Those who leave will return.”
