Doris Lee Feigenbaum Fisher is an American billionaire businesswoman, the co-founder of The Gap, Inc. (NYSE: GPS), the iconic clothing and specialty retail company. Born in San Francisco in 1931, she graduated from Stanford University as one of the first women to earn an Economics degree there. This academic background provided her with the foundational analytical skills for her groundbreaking retail career.

The genesis of The Gap came in 1969 with a simple, personal frustration: she and her late husband, Donald Fisher (d. 2009), struggled to find a pair of jeans that fit in San Francisco clothing stores. They ended their futile search with a brilliant idea: create a specialty retail store that focused solely on making it easier to find a pair of jeans.

Doris Fisher and her husband Don opened the first Gap store on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco in 1969. They had no prior retail experience, initially selling Levi's jeans and records. Doris's strategic genius was her role as the company's merchandiser until 2003, ensuring the product mix and store experience (which was 'fun' and designed to catch on) appealed to the youth market.

The Fishers are credited with inventing specialty retail—a model focused on a narrow product category but offering deep inventory and a specific experience. Under their guidance, The Gap grew into a major global brand with over 3,500 stores worldwide, expanding to include Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Athleta. Doris served on the board until 2009. Her wealth is tied to the long-term, stable profitability of this retail giant, and her subsequent dedication to large-scale art collection and philanthropy.

Doris Fisher is a major philanthropist, focusing her immense giving on education reform, the arts, and community service. She is a champion of public school reform organizations like Teach For America and has served as a trustee of Stanford University.

Her structural social impact is the creation of the specialty retail model and the provision of thousands of jobs globally. Her most visible cultural contribution is loaning her massive art collection to SFMOMA, ensuring public access to one of the world's most significant collections of modern art.

Doris Fisher maintains the elegant, sophisticated style of an American co-founder and major art patron. Her attire is consistently professional and high-quality. Her aesthetic reflects her passion for modern art and design and her business acumen.

Residing in San Francisco, California, her luxury is the security of her multi-billion dollar fortune. Her life is dedicated to the stewardship of her retail empire, her immense art collection, and her profound commitment to education reform.