Mary West


Mary West is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, the co-founder of West Corporation.

Early life

Mary West has a high school diploma, but never attended college. She grew up in Miami, and moved to Omaha part way through high school.

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 in 1986, which went public in 1996.
In 2008, she and her husband had a combined net worth of $2.2 billion.
She owns 10% of West Corporation, a publicly traded telecommunications services provider headquartered in Omaha.

Philanthropy

They have given away in excess of $400 million to "senior citizen wellness and cutting the nation's health care costs".

Personal life

She is married to Gary West, and they live in San Diego. The Wests own Thoroughbred racing horses Maximum Security, Game Winner, and New Year's Day.