Carolyn Rafaelian
Providence, Rhode Island
Bachelor of Arts/Science, The American College, Los Angeles
United States
7
jewelry, Self Made
$520,000,000
2057
#42 America's Self-Made Women 2019
#2057 Billionaires 2019
Carolyn Rafaelian's fortune comes largely from her majority stake in spiritual bangle brand Alex and Ani, which she founded in 2004.Alex and Ani, named after her two older daughters, has over 100 company-owned locations across North and South America. It also sells online. Granddaughter of Armenian immigrants, her father made American flag pins and costume jewelry in a Rhode Island factory where she now makes pieces.Rafaelian has bought up more than 30 properties, most of which are in her native Rhode Island and include a castle and vineyard. She is an investor in Big3, a 3-on-3 basketball league made up primarily of former NBA players; it was cofounded by rapper and actor Ice Cube.
Rafaelian's a big believer in the power of positive energy. She has a priest and shaman bless her inventory before it goes on sale.Rafaelian owns Belcourt, a 56,000-square foot Gilded Age mansion in Newport, R.I. once inhabited by suffragist Alva Vanderbilt, which she's renovating as a museum.
52
3
Add a review