You probably know the name. During the first Trump administration, it was everywhere. Whether you saw her as a reformer trying to save kids from "failing" systems or a billionaire intent on dismantling public education, Betsy DeVos was—and remains—one of the most polarizing figures in American politics.
But who is she, really?
She isn't just a former cabinet member. Honestly, to understand her, you have to look at the massive fortune behind the name and a decades-long mission that didn't start (or end) in Washington D.C.
The Money and the Mission
Betsy DeVos wasn't born into the DeVos family; she married into it. She was born Elisabeth Prince in 1958 in Holland, Michigan. Her father, Edgar Prince, was a billionaire industrialist who founded the Prince Corporation. If you’ve ever used a lighted sun visor in a car, you’ve used a Prince product.
She grew up in a world of Dutch neo-Calvinism, a specific religious framework that heavily influences her view on society and education. In 1979, she married Dick DeVos. His father? Richard DeVos, the co-founder of the multi-level marketing giant Amway.
Basically, we are talking about two massive fortunes merging. By 2016, the family's net worth was estimated at around $5.4 billion.
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For decades before she ever took a government job, Betsy and her husband were the "sugar parents" of the Michigan Republican Party. They didn't just donate; they directed strategy. They’ve spent hundreds of millions of dollars on conservative causes, specifically targeting school choice and voucher programs.
Why Betsy DeVos Still Matters in 2026
You might think she disappeared after resigning on January 7, 2021, following the Capitol riots. You'd be wrong.
As of early 2026, the DeVos family has publicly re-engaged in a huge way. They recently launched the Michigan Forward Network, a political operation designed to turn Michigan back to a Republican stronghold in the 2026 midterms. They aren't just sitting on their yachts (though they do own several, including the 164-foot Legacy).
They are playing the long game.
The Secretary of Education Years
When Donald Trump nominated her in 2017, the pushback was historic. It ended in a 50-50 Senate tie. Vice President Mike Pence had to cast the tie-breaking vote—the first time in U.S. history that had happened for a Cabinet nominee.
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Critics pointed to her lack of experience. She had never been a teacher. She never ran a school board. She never attended a public school, and neither did her children.
What she actually did in office:
- Title IX Overhaul: She fundamentally changed how colleges handle sexual assault allegations. She argued for "due process" for the accused, which critics said made it harder for survivors to come forward.
- The Voucher Push: She tried to steer federal money toward private and religious schools through "Education Freedom Scholarships." Most of these big-ticket items were actually blocked by Congress, but she used the "bully pulpit" to shift the national conversation.
- Civil Rights: She rescinded Obama-era guidance that protected transgender students' rights to use bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity.
- The Pandemic Stance: In 2020, she took a hard line on reopening schools, threatening to withhold federal funds from districts that stayed remote.
It's a polarizing list. Her supporters saw her as a champion for parents who felt trapped in ZIP-code-assigned schools. Her detractors saw her as the "Secretary of Discrimination" who wanted to bankrupt the public system to fund private interests.
The "Kingdom Gain" Controversy
One of the most frequent deep-dives into her past involves a 2001 interview. In it, she talked about her education activism as a way to "advance God's Kingdom."
This is where the nuance lies. To DeVos, education isn't just a civic service; it's a marketplace. She has famously called the American education system a "monopoly" and a "dead end." Her goal has always been to break that monopoly.
She’s also had some high-profile business misses. The DeVos family was one of the largest investors in Theranos, the blood-testing startup that turned out to be a massive fraud. They reportedly lost $100 million on that one.
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Misconceptions vs. Reality
People often think she was just a "Trump appointee" who fell into the role. That's a mistake. Betsy DeVos has been the architect of the school choice movement for thirty years.
She helped build the charter school system in Detroit, which has been a mixed bag of results. Some call it a disaster of accountability; others say it gave parents the only options they had left.
Even now, she is a power player. In 2026, her influence is felt through the "Education Freedom" legislation being passed in red states like Florida, Iowa, and Arizona. These states are essentially implementing the "DeVos Plan" on a local level, even if she isn't the one holding the pen.
Actionable Insights: Following the DeVos Footprint
If you are tracking the future of American education or the 2026 elections, you need to watch where the DeVos money goes. It’s a roadmap for the "New Right."
- Monitor state-level voucher bills: This is where her legacy is actually winning. If your state is debating "Education Savings Accounts" (ESAs), that's the DeVos model in action.
- Watch the Michigan 2026 midterms: The Michigan Forward Network is a test case for whether her brand of "principled conservatism" still works in the era of populist politics.
- Check Title IX updates: The Biden administration spent years trying to undo her Title IX rules. Depending on the current political winds in 2026, those rules are often the first thing to be flipped back and forth during administration changes.
Betsy DeVos didn't go away. She just went back to the place where she has always had the most power: the private sector and the campaign ledger. Understanding her means understanding that for some, the "public" in public education is the problem, not the solution.