Dr. Michelson currently has a net worth of $1.8 billion, making him the 1,690th richest person in the world and the 18th richest U.S. healthcare billionaire. He is also the fifth richest person in the U.S. with a medical degree.
Dr. Michelson currently holds over 340 U.S. patents for orthopedic and spinal surgery instruments.
He first became a billionaire in 2005 when he reached a $1.35 billion settlement with medical device company Medtronic.
Following medical school, Dr. Michelson entered private practice in California specializing in spinal surgery. He continued to practice as a surgeon for 25 years.
Dr. Michelson’spatents, which include both surgical and nonsurgical devices, include the CD Horizon fenestrated screw set, the Divergence-L interbody fusion device and the Zevo anterior cervical plate system.