Randall Lane and Harold Hamm on stage at the Forbes Self-Made 250 Celebration
Jamel Toppin for Forbes
As part of the Forbes 250 initiative, Forbes hosted the Self-Made 250 Celebration in Philadelphia on June 17, 2026 at the Museum of the American Revolution and First Bank of the United States, celebrating the Forbes Self-Made 250 list makers, 250 individuals who embody a distinctly American kind of ambition: the ability to build, to risk, to create opportunity and, in doing so, to expand the realm of what others believe is possible.
As 2026 marks the nation’s 250th birthday, the Forbes Self-Made 250 Celebration gathered and honored some of the most successful Americans who have overcome great hurdles before reaching success.
“With America’s semiquincentennial birthday this year, we’re celebrating one of the country’s most powerful and enduring ideas: that where you begin does not determine where you can go,” said Randall Lane, Chief Content Officer of Forbes. “The Forbes Self-Made 250 honors individuals whose achievements reflect the very best of the American Dream—people who transformed adversity into opportunity and redefined what is possible through perseverance, innovation and belief in a better future. Their stories remind us that upward mobility remains essential to America’s success and worthy of preserving for the next 250 years.”
Oprah Winfrey, Entrepreneur, Personality, Philanthropist, Media Legend and Global Inspiration, who was No. 1 on the Forbes Self-Made 250 list, joined Forbes Chief Content Officer, Randall Lane for a keynote conversation. Winfrey spoke to the audience about what an honor it was to be on the Forbes 250 list because it recognized the journeys travelled by every self-made 250 list maker, and how far people have come to where they are now.
“The best thing in the world for me as a Black woman has been being underestimated. Those white guys, those King World boys, they would have never given me 50% if they believed that I would be where I am today,” Winfrey told the audience.
Randall Lane and Oprah Winfrey on stage at the Forbes Self-Made 250 Celebration
Jamel Toppin for Forbes
A group of attendees started the day with a luncheon and private archive tour at the American Philosophical Society, hosted by nonprofit leaders from across Philadelphia. Documents on display included Thomas Jefferson’s handwritten draft of the Declaration of Independence and the writings of Benjamin Franklin.
The afternoon kicked off at the Museum of American Revolution with tours for attendees followed by conversations focused on acknowledging the achievements earned, while thinking of ways to preserve this spirit for the country’s next 250 years—from Lifelong Learnings In Resilience, Opportunity And Economic Mobility to Entrepreneurial Capitalism and Deploying Capital To Democratize Opportunity.
Speakers included:
- John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Operation HOPE
- Chris Gardner, CEO, HappYness
- Martyna Majok, Playwright
- Anastasia Soare, Founder & CEO, Anastasia Beverly Hills
- Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, Founder and CEO, Promise
- Jamie Kern Lima, Founder, IT Cosmetics, Podcast Host, and Author
- Bill Cummings, Founder, Cummings Properties and Cofounder, Cummings Foundation
- Joseph Neubauer, Philanthropist and Former CEO and Chairman, Aramark
- Marcia G. Taylor, CEO, Bennett Family of Companies
- Gary D. Tharaldson, Founder & CEO, Tharaldson Hospitality
- Paul Judge, Managing Partner, Open Opportunity Fund
- R. Scott Stephenson, President and CEO, Museum of the American Revolution
- Lauren Leichtman, Owner of the San Diego Wave FC and Cofounder, Levine Leichtman Capital Partners
- Harold Hamm, Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Continental Resources
- Steven D. Sims, Superintendent, National Parks of Philadelphia
The day ended with a dinner and programming at the First Bank of the United States to celebrate the Self-Made 250 list makers. Most grew up in adverse environments, yet achieved great success in business, literature, art, entertainment and beyond. The evening served as one in a series of events marking the First Bank’s official reopening to the public after nearly 50 years closed and the completion of an extensive restoration project to preserve the building originally opened in 1791 by then-Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton (#4 on the Historic Self-Made list).
Lane noted that the day’s iconic venues in Old City Philadelphia fittingly represent the birthplace of the very first startup—America itself—reminders that the American story has always been intertwined with ideas, enterprise, capital and the restless pursuit of a better future.
Bob Parsons, Founder of GoDaddy and PXG, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist, and Kathy Ireland, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Humanitarian, joined Forbes editors on stage for keynote conversations during the evening event. List makers joined onstage to be recognized for their achievements and success. These individuals prove that the American Dream is attainable for anyone—and is a worthy pursuit to be preserved for another 250 years.
Forbes Self-Made 250 honorees on stage at the Forbes Self-Made 250 Celebration
Jamel Toppin for Forbes
The day-long event in Philadelphia doubled as the 14th-annual Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy—a concept started in 2011 in partnership with Warren Buffett as a yearly gathering of the world’s most successful individuals in conversation focused on solving society’s most intractable problems. This mission took on historic resonance in 2026 with a special focus on upward mobility, centered on the men and women who best embody the grit, hustle and resilience of the American Dream.
The Forbes Self Made 250 event was sponsored by Lobos 1707 Tequila and was made possible by partners including the Museum of the American Revolution, Philadelphia250 and the Philadelphia Visitor Center, American Philosophical Society, William Penn Foundation, Connelly Foundation, Independence Historical Trust and Independence National Historical Park.
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