With a 2024 net worth of $1 billion, Roy Vagelos, MD, made Forbes' 38th annual World's Billionaires list, released April 2, for the first time.
Dr. Vagelos served as the chair and CEO of Merck from 1984 to 1994. In 1995, he joined Regeneron Pharmaceuticals as chairman and led the company for nearly 29 years. He also served as chairman and co-founder of pharmaceutical company Theravance.
According to a 2015 article from Bloomberg, Dr. Vagelos accumulated his wealth after he joined Regeneron Pharmaceuticals board following his retirement from Merck. There, he earned $1.3 billion from his director compensation.