F orrest Preston is a self-made American billionaire who founded and owns Life Care Centers of America, one of the largest privately held long-term care and nursing home companies in the United States. He started his career in the 1960s and, with his background in hospital administration, he identified a growing need for quality senior care facilities.

He founded Life Care in 1970 and has since built it into a massive enterprise with over 200 skilled nursing, assisted living, and retirement facilities across the country. He has built his company and his fortune by serving the needs of America's aging population. He remains the sole owner and chairman of the privately held company he built from scratch into an industry leader. He is known for being very low-profile and is a significant philanthropist in his home state of Tennessee.