The first female self-made millionaire in America was an African-American woman.
Madam C. J. Walker (1867-1919), known as the first female self-made millionaire in America, made her fortune thanks to her homemade line of hair care products for Black women. Born Sarah Breedlove to parents who had been enslaved, she was inspired to create her hair products after an experience with hair loss, which led to the creation of the “Walker system” of hair care.