Mary West (born 1945/46) is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, the co-founder of West Corporation.
Mary West | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1945 or 1946 (age 78–79)[1] |
| Known for | co-founder, West Corporation |
| Spouse | Gary West |
Early life
Mary West has a high school diploma, but never attended college.[1] She grew up in Miami, and moved to Omaha part way through high school.[2]
Career
In 1978, with her husband Gary, she co-founded WATS Telemarketing in the garage of their house in Omaha, Nebraska. They sold WATS in 1980 and in 1986 she founded West TeleServices which they took public in 1996.[1]
In 2008, she and her husband had a combined net worth of $2.2 billion.[3]
She owned 10% of West Corporation, a publicly traded telecommunications services provider headquartered in Omaha[1] which was taken private in 2017 as a subsidiary of Apollo Global Management .[4][5]
Philanthropy
They have given away in excess of $400 million to "senior citizen wellness and cutting the nation's health care costs".[2]
Personal life
She is married to Gary West, and they live in San Diego.[1] The Wests own Thoroughbred racing horses Maximum Security, Game Winner, and New Year's Day.[6]