R onald "Ron" Wanek is a self-made American billionaire who is the founder and chairman of Ashley Furniture Industries, the largest furniture manufacturer in the world. His is a classic American success story. He grew up in a poor dairy farming family and started his career in a small furniture factory. In 1970, he founded his own furniture manufacturing company, which he later merged with a Wisconsin-based furniture retailer called Ashley Furniture. He has since built the company into a massive, vertically integrated powerhouse.

Ashley Furniture is not only the largest furniture manufacturer in the world, but it is also one of the largest furniture retailers in the United States through its network of Ashley HomeStore retail locations. Wanek is known for his focus on cost control, efficiency, and for building a global supply chain. The company remains privately held by him and his family. He has since passed on the CEO title to his son, Todd Wanek, but he remains the chairman. He is also a major political donor to the Republican party and a prominent philanthropist.