American entrepreneur Mike Ilitch has an estimated net worth of$2.4 billion. He is the founder and owner of the international fast food franchise Little Caesars Pizza. He owns the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Detroit Tigers of the Major League Baseball (MLB). He also formed and owned the Detroit Caesars, a successful softball team that played throughout the 70s. Mike Ilitch was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003 as well as the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.

Born Michael Ilitch Jr. on July 20, 1929 in Detroit, Michigan, his parents are Macedonian immigrants Sotir and Sultana Ilitch. He is a graduate of Cooley High School in Detroit. He entered the U.S. Marince Corps for four years. When he returned home, the Tigers offered him $3000 to play baseball. He had a four-year minor league career from 1952 to 1955.

In 1959, Ilitch started a pizza business after leaving baseball. Along with his wife, they opened the Little Caesars Pizza in Garden City, Michigan. As of March 2013, the couple has a combined net worth of $2.7 billion, #537 in the Forbes Billionaires List, #181 in the United States, and #151in Forbes 400 List (2012).