Billionaire Wisconsin businesswoman Diane Hendricks told the crowd at Thursday's Republican National Convention about her path from growing up on a Wisconsin dairy farm to running the biggest roofing supply company in North America.
"I'm living proof the American dream is possible through hard work and determination," she said to applause.
Hendricks is the co-founder of ABC Supply, the largest wholesale distributor of roofing supplies and a major distributor of siding and windows in North America. She started the Beloit-based company in 1982 with her husband, Ken, and has been the chairwoman and sole owner since his death in 2007.
"We risked everything we had to start that company. Today, ABC supply employs over 22,000 Americans," she said. "We are the largest grouping distributor in the country. But what's even more important is we are creating these jobs right here in the United States of America."
ABC Supply currently has 694 locations across the U.S. and Canada, according to its website. Hendricks also owns a real estate development firm and a holding company with stakes in 18 businesses, Forbes reported in 2022.
During her five-minute RNC speech, Hendricks spoke of her struggles after becoming a young mother.
"At the age of 17 I became pregnant. That was not part of my plan. But I truly believe that every life is a sacred gift from God," she said. "As a single mom, I worked two jobs and found my passion field in real estate."
She also spoke of her husband's death.
"I lost my husband 16 years ago. It was the toughest time of my life. Thank God I had our seven children to be my support," Hendricks said. "But I had to decide whether to fight or fold. And I chose to fight."
Hendricks now has an estimated net worth of $20.9 billion, and the 77-year-old topped the 2024 Forbes' list of richest self-made women in America — the seventh year in a row she's led the list.
She was also the 92nd-richest person in the world in 2024, according to Forbes.
Hendricks noted during her speech that she was recently named, "the most successful self-made woman in America."
When the RNC released its speakers for Thursday earlier in the day, Hendricks was listed as an "everyday American."
But as she took the stage on Thursday night, she was instead introduced as an "American businesswoman."
Hendricks is also a major donor to Republicans.
From 2019 to 2020, she donated nearly $13.1 million to Republicans and conservative groups. In 2022, she donated $2 million to a political action committee backing U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson's re-election campaign.