Seven healthcare leaders sit on Bloomberg's Billionaire Index as of March 1.
Here are the top seven U.S. healthcare leaders on the list, ranked on descending net worth.
1. Thomas Frist Jr., MD, ($21.6 billion) is a founder and major shareholder of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare.
2. Carl Cook ($10.4 billion) is owner and CEO of Cook Group, a medical device manufacturer based in Bloomington, Ind.
3. Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, ($8.4 billion) invented the cancer drug Abraxane.
4. Ronda Stryker ($7.8 billion) is director of and the largest individual shareholder in Stryker Corp., a medical equipment company.
5. Li Ge, PhD, ($6.1 billion) is chairman and CEO of WuXi AppTec, a global research and development and manufacturing services company.
6. Pat Stryker ($6 billion) is a shareholder of Stryker Corp., a medical equipment company founded by her grandfather.
7. Reinhold Schmieding ($6 billion) is the founder and president of Arthrex, a surgical device maker.