The World's 5 Wealthiest Figures in Healthcare

From vaccine pioneers to pharmaceutical moguls, these five healthcare billionaires have shaped global medicine while building fortunes that rank among the world's largest. Meet the leaders transforming the industry and driving innovation across the U.S., India, and China.

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1. Thomas Frist Jr. and family

$32.8 billion • Citizenship: U.S.

Frist Jr., a former Air Force flight surgeon, cofounded Hospital Corporation of America - now HCA Healthcare - with his father and Jack Massey in 1968. He helped grow it into a leading healthcare network, taking it public for the third time in 2011 after two management buyouts. By June 2025, HCA operated 191 hospitals and 2,500 ambulatory sites across the U.S. and U.K. Now 87, Frist Jr. no longer manages the company, though his sons Thomas Frist III-board chairman-and William Frist serve as directors. The family is also known for its philanthropy, with the Frist Foundation helping establish Nashville's Frist Art Museum.

2. Dilip Shanghvi

$24.8 billion • Citizenship: India