92-year-old Joan Payden, founder of Los Angeles-based money management firm Payden & Rygel with $161B in assets, ranks among America's richest self-made women on Forbes'

92-year-old Joan Payden, founder of Los Angeles-based money management firm Payden & Rygel, has become one of America's richest self-made women, with an estimated net worth of $700M and a spot on Forbes' 2024 list of America's Richest Self-Made Women. Payden, who began her career as an engineer, founded Payden & Rygel in 1983 after quitting her job and investing her 401(k). Today, the firm manages over $161B in assets and has nearly 240 employees across multiple offices.