Marian Ilitch

About Marian Ilitch

Marian Ilitch and her husband, Mike, who died in 2017, cofounded Little Caesars Pizza in 1959.

Mrs. I, as she's known, owns the pizza chain, which hauls in more than $5 billion in annual systemwide sales.

She also owns the Detroit Red Wings NHL team and MotorCity Casino Hotel; the Detroit Tigers MLB team is owned by a family trust.

Ilitch is helping build a $1.4 billion sports and entertainment district in Detroit that includes a new headquarters with pizza-shaped windows.

In the early days, Ilitch had to prevent her husband, who quietly paid Rosa Parks' rent for years, from giving away free pizzas.