Sara Blakely

In 2020, Blakely is giving $5,000,000 to support female-run small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2019, Blakely paid $162,500 for the black pants worn by Olivia Newton-John in Grease; proceeds from the auction benefited Newton-John's cancer treatment center in Melbourne, Australia.

Since 2015, she has been a co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks basketball team, along with billionaire Tony Ressler.

In 2015, Blakely and her husband Jesse Itzler were part of a group led by Tony Ressler along with Grant Hill, Steven Price, and Rick Schnall, that successfully purchased the Atlanta Hawks for $850 million.

In October 2013, Blakely explained that her ambition is to design the world's most comfortable high-heel shoe prior to retirement. She was listed as the 93rd most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.

In 2012, Blakely landed on the cover of Forbes magazine for being the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world.

Blakely then drove to North Carolina, the location of most of America's hosiery mills, to present her idea. She was turned away by every representative; these companies were used to dealing with established companies, and did not see the value of her idea. Two weeks after arriving home from her North Carolina trip, Blakely received a call from a male mill operator based in Asheboro, North Carolina, who offered to support Blakely's concept, as he had received strong encouragement from his three daughters. Blakely further explained in 2011 that the experience of developing her idea also revealed to her that the hosiery manufacturing industry was overseen solely by men who were not using the products they were producing.

In 2008, Blakely married Jesse Itzler, the co-founder of Marquis Jet, at the Gasparilla Inn and Club in Boca Grande, Florida, U.S. The couple met at a Net Jet Poker Tournament, and they dated for a year prior to engagement. The wedding was attended by actor Matt Damon and featured a surprise performance by singer Olivia Newton-John. Together, they have four children. They often speak at conferences and events together on business and lifestyle. She is a convert to Judaism.

In 2006, Blakely launched the Sara Blakely Foundation to help women through education and entrepreneurial training—Blakely had considered the establishment of a non-profit foundation prior to the founding of Spanx. Richard Branson acted as a mentor to Blakely and, at the conclusion of The Rebel Billionaire, surprised Blakely with a US$750,000 check to start the Foundation.

Since its launch, The Sara Blakely Foundation has funded scholarships for young women at the Community and Individual Development Association City Campus in South Africa and Blakely appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2006, donating US$1 million to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. In 2013 Blakely became the first female billionaire to join the "Giving Pledge", Bill Gates and Warren Buffett's pledge, whereby the world's richest people donate at least half of their wealth to charity.

In 2005, Blakely attained second place as a contestant on The Rebel Billionaire, a reality television series that introduced her to Richard Branson, who later supported Blakely in her endeavors as both an entrepreneur and philanthropist. She later starred as one of the judges on ABC's reality television series, American Inventor, alongside George Foreman, Pat Croce and Peter Jones.

In November 2000, Winfrey named Spanx a "Favorite Thing", leading to a significant rise in popularity and sales, as well as Blakely's resignation from Danka. Spanx achieved US$4 million in sales in its first year and US$10 million in sales in its second year. In 2001, Blakely signed a contract with QVC, the home shopping channel.

Sara Treleaven Blakely (born February 27, 1971) is an American businesswoman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She is the founder of Spanx, an American intimate apparel company with pants and leggings, founded in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2012, Blakely was named in Time magazine's "Time 100" annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. She was listed as the 93rd most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.

Blakely was born on February 27, 1971, in Clearwater, Florida. She is the daughter of Ellen (née Ford), an artist, and trial attorney, John Blakely. She has a brother, artist Ford Blakely. She attended Clearwater High School and graduated from Florida State University with a communication degree, where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority.