Marian Ilitch

She owns the Red Wings. She owns the Tigers. She owns a billion-dollar casino. Oh, and she also built Little Caesars.

In 1959, Marian Ilitch and her husband, Mike Ilitch, opened a single pizza shop in Michigan.

That small business exploded into Little Caesars, now the world’s third-largest pizza chain, with over $5B in annual sales.

But pizza was just the beginning.

She became one of the most powerful women in sports, owning the Detroit Red Wings (4 Stanley Cups) and the Detroit Tigers, helping bring both teams back to glory.

And in 2005, she made a $600M power move.

Buying out investors to take full control of MotorCity Casino, making it one of the largest woman-owned casinos in the U.S.

While others abandoned Detroit, Marian bet big on the city’s comeback.

Restoring the historic Fox Theatre, moving Little Caesars’ headquarters downtown, and spearheading a $1.4B entertainment district.