Oklahoma’s Judy Love is one of the nation’s wealthiest self-made women, ranking a couple of spots behind Oprah Winfrey and about 40 ahead of Beyonce Knowles and Judge Judy on a list compiled by Forbes.

Love, with her husband Tom, founded Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores in 1964 by leasing an abandoned gas station in Watonga. Within a few years, the company had 40 stations and began to open convenience stores alongside the pumps. Oklahoma City-based Love's now operates more than 300 locations in 39 states.

Judy Love kept the books and ran the company with Tom until 1975, when she returned to college to complete her degree. Now she is secretary of Love’s and chairman of the Love Family Fund, the family’s charitable foundation. Tom Love is chairman and CEO, and three of their four children work for the company.

Judy Love ranked No. 7 on Forbes’ list of America’s 50 richest self-made women with an estimated net worth of $2.4 billion. Elizabeth Holmes, who co-founded the Theranos blood-testing company, topped the list at $4.5 billion. Oprah Winfrey ranked No. 5 at $3 billion. Madonna was No. 28 at $520 million. Beyonce Knowles and Judy “Judge Judy” Sheindlin tied for No. 49 at $250 million.