– Forever 21 Christian Billionaire Founders lands at No. 222 on Forbes 400 wealthiest Americans
The Forever 21 fashion entrepreneurs landed on U.S. soil from South Korea in 1981 amid a chaotic time in their home country. Martial law had been lifted that year, following the assassination of military dictator Park Chung-hee.
“At the time [people in] South Korea weren’t living as well… The opportunities were really narrow,” Do Won told Forbes in an exclusive interview.
Today Do Won, 57, and Jin Sook, 60, employ 43,000 people (nearly 11,000 of whom are full-time) in 790 stores in 48 countries via fast fashion phenom Forever 21, which now has $4.4 billion in sales. That’s enough for the married couple to land a spot at No. 222 on The Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans, with a combined net worth of $3 billion.
“I came here with almost nothing and I’ll always have a grateful heart toward America for the opportunities that it’s provided me… And I wanted to pay it forward,” Do Won said.
Jin Sook and Do Won Chang are Christians. They dedicate most of their free time to spiritual pursuits. At the bottom of every Forever 21 carrier bag is written John 3:16. Their eldest daughter Linda credits God’s Hand as the major factor for their success. “Every decision made has been with thoughtful prayer”.
