How AMD Made Lisa Su A Billionaire. Plus: Charge What You’re Worth

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Quick, without looking it up: How many words is the Equal Rights Amendment? And, bonus follow-up question: When was it first introduced to Congress?

If you answered “24 words” and “1923,” you are correct. If you couldn’t answer those questions, you’re in good company (I got both wrong on first guess). But even if you don’t know the details of the ERA, you’re likely aware that it has not been ratified at the federal level in spite of having reached the requisite level of state ratification in order to make it the 28th amendment to the Constitution.

The issue is top of mind because last night, I participated in a panel discussion about the ERA and its ties to female entrepreneurs hosted by Karolina Zmarlak, a fashion designer and founder of KZ_K Studio. We—alongside ERA Coalition president and CEO Zakiya Thomas and former Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney—talked a lot about the pay, wealth and funding gaps that persist for women, and how much stronger an economy the U.S. (and broader world) could have by closing these gaps.

In Thomas’ view, ratifying the ERA would mark a crucial step in achieving pay equality and ensuring other freedoms. “If you think your rights are guaranteed, they’re not,” she said when I asked her why this matters for the ForbesWomen audience. She pointed to the Dobbs decision and continued disparities in how women are treated at work and in society, saying, “We need to understand that our rights are solidified until we have equality.”

These subjects (and more) will be part of the lineup at the Forbes 30/50 Summit and Forbes Equal Pay Day Forum in March—so stay tuned for more insights (or, better yet, join us in person!)

Cheers!

Maggie

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Exclusive Forbes Profile: How Generative AI Helped Make AMD’s Lisa Su A Billionaire

Just two years after joining chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices in 2012, IBM veteran Lisa Su was tapped to take the top job. It was a big promotion for the then 43-year-old, but also a gamble: At the time, the company was floundering. It had laid off around a quarter of its staff and its share price hovered around $2. Now, the tech-stock rally of 2024 has made Su—the first female chief executive of a major semiconductor company—a new billionaire. She owns some 4 million shares (a tiny 0.2% sliver of the company) but those, along with options she’s been awarded, account for about three-quarters of her $1.1 billion fortune.

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ICYMI: News Of The Week

Women dominated Grammy Awards Sunday night: Phoebe Bridgers, SZA and Victoria Monét walked away with several golden gramophones each; Tracy Chapman returned to the stage for a moving performance that has since sent her song “Fast Car” to the top of the iTunes chart; and Taylor Swift won the Grammy for album of the year, saying in her acceptance speech that the real reward is “the work,” a sentiment she supported when, earlier in the evening, she announced that her 11th studio album—The Tortured Poets Department—is coming out on April 19.

While women and men can compete against each other in the Grammys, Forbes senior contributor Kim Elsesser points out that this practice is not allowed at the Academy Awards—and argues that “these outdated Oscar traditions of keeping male and female actors in separate categories perpetuate harmful stereotypes about gender and women.”

Candice Huffine, the plus-size model who has been the face of campaigns for Victoria’s Secret and Lane Bryant, said she was recently offered Ozempic following a medical exam. The thing is, she never asked for it.

Jennifer Crumbley—the mother of a 17-year-old who killed four students in a 2021 Michigan high school mass shooting—was found guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter, a jury ruled Tuesday, in a one-of-a-kind case that attempted to hold parents responsible for their child’s criminal actions.

New research out of the U.K. reveals “a new and unusual generational pattern” in attitudes towards gender: young men are no more supportive of gender equality than their older cohorts, in spite of being more socially progressive on other issues.

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The Checklist

1. Recognize when you have a rotten fish—and let it go. Suzy Batiz went through bankruptcy twice before inventing the smash-hit toilet spray Poo-Pourri. She sat down with ForbesWomen editor Maggie McGrath to talk about what those bankruptcies taught her, and how she’s been able to retain 97% ownership of her company.

2. Charge what you’re worth. If you’re an entrepreneur, you’ve likely heard this phrase before. But how do you calculate the value of your product or services? This guide has everything you need to know.

3. Cope with a toxic boss without quitting your job. Working under a toxic boss can be detrimental to your career and well-being. Rather than suffer in silence, here are five ways to deal with the situation without quitting your job.

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The Quiz

This weekend’s Super Bowl is expected to see a 21% increase in viewership—whether that’s due to the football itself, the ads or the presence of a certain pop star in the stands. NFL-licensed apparel for women is also seeing huge growth: Which type of women’s NFL gear sold more in every single week of the season in 2023, compared to the previous year?

A. Jerseys

B. PJ pants

C. Sweatshirts

D. Beanies

Check your answer.

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