Image from forbes/Instagram (Illustration: Ben Kirchner for Forbes)
Filipino American Susan Ocampo’s legacy in the tech industry speaks volumes, loud enough to earn her a spot on Forbes’ 2025 list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women.
Ranking 18th with a net worth of $2 billion, Ocampo is now being recognized not just as a businesswoman, but as a pioneering force in the semiconductor space.
Now celebrating its 10th year, Forbes’ list shines a spotlight on women entrepreneurs, executives and entertainers who have not only accumulated wealth but have also created a lasting impact in their respective fields.
“Bigger fortunes. More billionaires. Increasing impact,” the magazine noted, emphasizing the significant growth in both the size and number of fortunes amassed by women over the past decade.
“That’s more than double the 18 we found in 2015. Minimum to make the cut? $350 million, up from $250 million a decade ago, when we only ranked 50 women,” Forbes further added.
Born and raised in the United States and now based in Honolulu, Hawaii, the 67-year-old leader is best known for her role in the rise of Macom Technology Solutions, a Nasdaq-listed semiconductor firm where she currently sits as a board member and the largest individual shareholder. She owns approximately 15 percent of the company.
Alongside her late husband, John Ocampo, she co-founded Sirenza Microdevices in 1984, a supplier of semiconductors and components that laid the groundwork for their decades-long business journey.
The couple later established GaAs Labs in 2008, a private investment firm focused on high-tech opportunities, where Susan serves as vice president, secretary and treasurer.
To quantify the grit behind the fortune, Forbes assigns each honoree a “self-made” score. Ocampo earned an impressive score of 8 which signals that she built her wealth through significant entrepreneurial effort.
Leading the pack is Diane Hendricks, chairperson of ABC Supply, who tops the list with a staggering net worth of $22.3 billion.
The youngest newcomer on the list is pop superstar and actress Selena Gomez, who is worth an estimated $700 million.
