American orthopedic spinal surgeon Gary K. Michelson has an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion as of March 2013 according to Forbes.
Of Jewish heritage, Gary Michelson was born on January 14, 1949 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Hahnemann Medical College and Temple University. He is currently divorced and childless. He lives in a five-bedroom house which he shares with his three dogs. He has been a spinal surgeon for 25 years now, and throughout those long years, he has already published 110 research papers.
Most of Michelson's net worth is derived from his inventions. He is known to invent surgical instruments, medical implants and operative methods. To date, he already has over 250 U.S. patents on devices, methods and instruments used in orthopedic and spinal surgeries. He still has more than 950 pending or issued patents for medical devices, operative procedures and instruments which can be used for the treatment of spinal disorders.
For several years, Gary Michelson has been a finalist in the National Inventor of the Year Awards. In 2006, he was a recipient of the Paralyzed Veterans of America Award for the Outstanding Medical Research in the field of spinal disorders. In 2011, he was elected into the National Inventors Hall of Fame which was held in Washington, D.C.