DeVos family
Prominent wealthy family that invested in Theranos.
First Mentioned
10/18/2026, 3:14:58 AM
Last Updated
10/18/2026, 3:17:35 AM
Research Retrieved
10/18/2026, 3:17:35 AM
Summary
The DeVos family is a prominent American family known for its significant wealth and conservative political activism. Betsy DeVos, a key member, served as the U.S. Secretary of Education from 2017 to 2021, advocating strongly for school choice, voucher programs, and charter schools. She previously held leadership positions within the Michigan Republican Party and various educational advocacy organizations. The family's wealth, estimated at $5.4 billion in 2016, stems from industries including direct sales, with her husband, Dick DeVos, being the former CEO of Amway. The family also has ties to Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater USA. In 2021, Betsy DeVos resigned from her cabinet position following the January 6th Capitol attack, citing President Trump's rhetoric. The DeVos family has also been noted as investors, including being among those defrauded by Theranos, a situation detailed in a related document concerning Elizabeth Holmes's husband, Billy Evans.
Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
Wikipedia
View on WikipediaBetsy DeVos
Elisabeth Dee DeVos ( də-VOSS; née Prince; born January 8, 1958) is an American politician, philanthropist, and former government official who served as the 11th United States secretary of education from 2017 to 2021. DeVos is known for her conservative political activism, and particularly her support for school choice, school voucher programs, and charter schools. She was Republican national committeewoman for Michigan from 1992 to 1997 and served as chair of the Michigan Republican Party from 1996 to 2000, and again from 2003 to 2005. She has advocated for the Detroit charter school system and she is a former member of the board of the Foundation for Excellence in Education. She has served as chair of the board of the Alliance for School Choice and the Acton Institute and headed the All Children Matter PAC. DeVos is married to former Amway CEO Dick DeVos. Her brother, Erik Prince, a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer, is the founder of Blackwater USA. Their father is billionaire industrialist Edgar Prince, founder of the Prince Corporation. In 2016, the family was listed by Forbes as the 88th-richest in America, with an estimated net worth of $5.4 billion. On November 23, 2016, then-president-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate DeVos to serve as the secretary of education in his administration. On January 31, following strong opposition to the nomination from Democrats, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions approved her nomination on a party-line vote, sending her nomination to the Senate floor. On February 7, 2017, she was confirmed by the Senate by a 51–50 margin, with Vice President Mike Pence breaking the tie in favor of her nomination. This was the first time in U.S. history that a Cabinet nominee's confirmation was decided by the vice president's tiebreaking vote. On January 7, 2021, DeVos tendered her resignation as education secretary as a result of the January 6 United States Capitol attack, saying to President Trump in her resignation letter, "There is no mistaking the impact your rhetoric had on the situation." Her resignation took effect on January 8, 2021, twelve days before the end of Trump's term.
Web Search Results
- The DeVos Family
## Frequently Asked Questions The DeVos Family includes more than 30 adults who share a deep commitment to faith, family, stewardship and discovery. United by shared values, they actively engage in business, philanthropy, community involvement and public policy. In addition to their shared efforts, individual Family members pursue personal passions and ventures that reflect their unique interests and talents, further amplifying their collective impact. [...] Rich and Helen DeVos’ legacy continues through their children — Dick and Betsy, Dan and Pamella, Cheri, and Doug and Maria — as well as their many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The DeVos Family remains deeply invested in Grand Rapids, Orlando and communities worldwide through a broad range of business and philanthropic efforts. While each Family member pursues individual passions and ventures, they also collectively serve as caretakers of the Orlando Magic NBA team, owners of OA Private Capital and co-owners of Amway. Together they support the DeVos Family Foundation, the DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative (DVULI) and Spring GR. Family members hold leadership and advisory roles at RDV, the Family’s collective professional office, and many other organizations. [...] # About the DEVOS Family The DeVos Family is united by shared values that shape their work in business, philanthropy, community engagement and public policy. Rooted in faith and strengthened by close bonds, the Family embraces responsible stewardship through service on community boards, and support for charitable initiatives and business ventures across West Michigan, Central Florida and beyond. ## The History of the DEVOS Family
- The DeVos Family Foundation
DeVos Family Foundation Logo # A foundation for families, neighborhoods, and futures. The DeVos Family Foundation invests in initiatives that create pathways to opportunities, support the healthy growth of children and families, and cultivate thriving communities. About the Foundation Aerial view of unknown residential neighborhood Person smiling and holding young children in arms ## Strong Communities. Strong Futures. Rich and Helen DeVos built a legacy of giving, and this priority—driven by faith and compassion—is reflected in the lives and mission of their family. The DeVos Family Foundation (DVFF) is a collaborative effort between the family’s second and third generations to maintain this philosophy of investing in things that truly matter. [...] Gift to Advance Children’s Health Care Health Crisis Response Orlando Magic 30 Grants for 30 Years Initiative Orlando Magic Youth Foundation DeVos Family Prize for Leadership in Giving ## Contact the DeVos Family Foundation Phone: (616) 643-4700 Email: info@dvfoundations.org Address: DeVos Family Foundation 200 Monroe Avenue NW, Suite 200 Grand Rapids, MI 49503 [...] The foundation supports strategic projects and initiatives that impact the community, empower individuals to reach their full potential, and catalyze change. The DVFF strives for impact through partnerships and funding primarily in West Michigan and Central Florida. ### Where We’re Starting Believing that every individual deserves the opportunity to succeed, we intentionally partner with programs and initiatives that increase access to economic mobility and build healthy places for people to live, work, learn, and play. ## Recent Initiatives See All Corewell Health Center for Transformation and Innovation DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative DeVos Institute of Arts and Nonprofit Management Capacity Building Central Florida Program Gift to Advance Children’s Health Care
- List of Devos and VanAndel owned businesses
The DeVos family, a prominent American business family, is primarily known for its involvement in Amway, a multi-level marketing company, as
- The Fruit Didn’t Fall Far From the Tree: The DeVos Family Story - Northwood University
Dick DeVos is an entrepreneur-businessman. Dick served as CEO of Amway and Alticor, the consumer goods and distribution company his father co-founded from 1993–2002. After retiring from Alticor, Dick became president of the Windquest Group, a privately held investment management firm with primary holdings in the technology, manufacturing and real estate sectors. Windquest has made sizable and successful investments in technologies that have been environmentally sound and economically sustainable. In 2006, DeVos ran for governor of Michigan, but lost to Democratic incumbent Jennifer Granholm in a highly competitive race. Dick has been a long-standing member of the board of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and a champion of school vouchers and Right-To-Work legislation in the state of [...] People clearly do make the difference in this world and Rich DeVos, his wife, Helen, and their four children have accomplished more than most. From a humble start after The Great Depression, The DeVos family has created and/ or run multi-billion dollar businesses, employed millions of people and donated hundreds of millions of dollars to charity. One can only imagine how much brighter the world will be when Rich and Helen’s 16 grandchildren add their contributions to those of their parents and grandparents. 1. Bruce Burrsmon, “Rich DeVos’ Second Wind.” The data was obtained at website stories/nmy96ric.htm.Ibid. 1. Wilbur Cross and Gordon Olson, Committed to Excellence (New York: The Benjamin Company, 1986) p. 14. [...] Northwood logo 1. Home 2. News # The Fruit Didn’t Fall Far From the Tree: The DeVos Family Story September 6, 2018 On September 6, 2018, Richard DeVos passed away at the age of 92. A lifelong advocate of free enterprise, capitalism and freedom, DeVos and his family are true friends of Northwood University. The piece below was written for Northwood’s annual In Defense of Capitalism publication, and republished to honor the DeVos legacy that lives on at Northwood University. Richard M. DeVos’ values and determination were shaped at an early stage in his life. Rich DeVos was born in 1926 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a product of the lessons taught by a loving family and the experiences of living through the Great Depression.
- Betsy DeVos (2017-2021) | Miller Center
Betsy and Dick DeVos are wealthy, conservative Christians who are active in Republican Party politics. She was a campaign volunteer for President Gerald Ford in 1976 and served as chair of the Michigan Republican Party from 1996 to 2000. She and her husband have also raised considerable funds for Republican candidates. In 1989, the DeVoses founded Windquest Group, a private investment and management company. The same year, Betsy pioneered the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation, dedicated to donating to Christian organizations, charter schools, and universities. As a supporter of school choice and school vouchers, DeVos is a champion for families having access to federally funded vouchers to finance private or charter school education.
DBPedia
View on DBPediaLocation Data
DeVos Family Center for Scouting, I 96, Wilder Center, Walker, Kent County, Michigan, 49544, United States
Coordinates: 43.0218538, -85.7294600
Open Map