Valerie Daniels Carter Net Worth 2026: V&J Foods CEO
Valerie Daniels-Carter founded V&J Foods in Milwaukee in 1982 and owns part of the Milwaukee Bucks. No reputable outlet has published an estimate of her net worth.
- Full name
- Valerie Daniels-Carter
- Profession
- Founder, president and CEO of V&J Holding Companies
- Birthplace
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
- Nationality
- American
- Spouse
- Jeff Carter (died 1999)
- Relationship
- Widowed
- Children
- 1
- Source of wealth
- V&J Foods restaurant franchises, Milwaukee Bucks minority stake
In this article
No reputable outlet has published an estimate of Valerie Daniels-Carter's net worth. The $12.3 million figure repeated across net worth sites, including this page before, traces back to no named source, so we have removed it. What is documented is a large private business: Daniels-Carter co-founded V&J Foods in Milwaukee in 1982 with one Burger King, grew it into one of the largest woman-owned restaurant franchise groups in the United States, reported close to $250 million in annual revenue in 2021, and owns part of the Milwaukee Bucks through an investor group.
What is Valerie Daniels-Carter's net worth?
V&J Holding Companies is private, so its profits and her share of it are not public. Her Bucks interest is held through Partners for Community Impact, a group of Milwaukee executives that bought a minority stake in 2014, and the size of her slice has not been disclosed. No Forbes list or business publication has combined these into a figure.
For those reasons this page does not show a number. A restaurant group with about $250 million in revenue, as Milwaukee Magazine reported, suggests wealth well beyond a typical franchisee, but revenue is not profit and franchise businesses carry real estate, equipment and debt.
Where the money comes from
- Restaurant franchises. V&J started with Burger King and later added Pizza Hut, Häagen-Dazs and Auntie Anne's, according to Andscape. QSR Magazine reported in 2025 that her current focus is a GoTo Foods portfolio of Auntie Anne's, Cinnabon and Jamba restaurants.
- Partnership with Shaquille O'Neal. She teamed with the NBA Hall of Famer to open Auntie Anne's stores in non-traditional locations, QSR reported.
- Milwaukee Bucks. A minority stake through Partners for Community Impact since 2014. She had also been part of Michael Jordan's group that tried to buy the Bucks in 2003 before the deal fell through, Andscape reported.
- Corporate boards. She has served on the Green Bay Packers board of directors since 2011 and chaired the AAA board. Board seats at some companies are paid, but her fees have not been reported.
How many restaurants does Valerie Daniels-Carter own?
The count has changed over time as brands were added and sold:
| Source and year | Size reported |
|---|---|
| AAA, 2017 | 137 restaurants across several brands |
| Milwaukee Magazine, 2021 | More than 100 restaurants in five states, close to $250 million a year in revenue |
| QSR Magazine, 2025 | Grew to 132 locations in eight states with over 4,500 employees in its first 16 years |
AAA described V&J in 2017 as the largest female-owned food service franchise business in America.
Early life and education
Daniels-Carter grew up on Milwaukee's North Side, one of eight children, and graduated from Custer High School, according to Milwaukee Magazine and Andscape. Her father, John, ran a heating and cooling business and died when she was a high school senior. She played basketball at Lincoln University, a historically Black university in Missouri. After returning to Milwaukee in 1978 she turned down an offer from the Milwaukee Does of the Women's Professional Basketball League and took a job as a banker at First Wisconsin National Bank.
She uses the title "Dr." Milwaukee Magazine described her as in her 60s in 2021; her exact date of birth has not been published. The height, weight and "personal trainer" claims that appeared here earlier had no source and have been removed.
Related: Jeff Dean Net Worth
Career timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1978 | Joins First Wisconsin National Bank |
| 1982 | Founds V&J Foods with her brother John Daniels Jr. |
| 1983 | Builds her first Burger King at Fond du Lac Avenue and Capitol Drive, Milwaukee |
| 2003 | Part of Michael Jordan's failed bid for the Bucks |
| 2011 | Elected to the Green Bay Packers board |
| 2014 | Buys into the Bucks through Partners for Community Impact |
| 2017 | Becomes the first African American woman to chair the AAA board |
| 2021 | Bucks win the NBA title |
| 2026 | Leads Holy Redeemer church's response after a fire at a redevelopment site |
Husband and children
Her husband was Jeff Carter. Milwaukee Magazine reported that he saved the pay from a second job and gave it to her on their wedding night to start her business. He died in an accident at his workplace in the winter of 1999, and she was left raising their young son while running V&J, as she told QSR Magazine. She has spoken of one son; we found no reliable source for other children.
Faith, philanthropy and 2026 news
Daniels-Carter attends Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ in Milwaukee, founded in 1986 by her younger brother, Bishop Sedgwick Daniels, who died in 2023. WISN identified her in May 2026 as the church's senior executive pastor. That month a five-alarm fire destroyed a vacant former warehouse her brother had bought for affordable housing, offices and a hotel. She told TMJ4 the project's vision would continue.
Her giving includes the Mother Kathryn Daniels Center on the church campus and a museum of African American music and arts there, for which she acted as general contractor, Milwaukee Magazine reported. QSR said V&J teams have traveled to Africa for 35 years to build hospitals and orphanages. She also hosts a podcast and YouTube series, The Power to Win.
Read also: Bart Blatstein Net Worth
How this page was checked
We used Milwaukee Magazine, QSR Magazine, Andscape, the AAA newsroom, WISN and TMJ4. The wide spread in restaurant counts reflects different years, not conflicting facts.
Frequently asked questions
What is Valerie Daniels-Carter's net worth?
No reputable outlet has published an estimate of Valerie Daniels-Carter's net worth. The $12.3 million figure on many sites has no named source. Her wealth rests on V&J Holding Companies, which reported close to $250 million in yearly revenue in 2021, and a minority stake in the Milwaukee Bucks.
How many restaurants does Valerie Daniels-Carter own?
The number has changed over time. AAA put V&J at 137 restaurants in 2017, and Milwaukee Magazine reported more than 100 in five states in 2021. QSR Magazine said in 2025 her focus is Auntie Anne's, Cinnabon and Jamba restaurants under GoTo Foods.
How many children does Valerie Daniels-Carter have?
Valerie Daniels-Carter has spoken publicly about one son, whom she was raising when her husband, Jeff Carter, died in a workplace accident in 1999. We found no reliable source naming other children.
Who was Valerie Daniels-Carter's husband?
Her husband was Jeff Carter, who grew up near her in Milwaukee. Milwaukee Magazine reported he gave her his savings from a second job on their wedding night to start her business. He died in a fall at his workplace in the winter of 1999.
How old is Dr. Valerie Daniels-Carter?
Her date of birth has not been published. Milwaukee Magazine described her as in her 60s in 2021, and she told Andscape she was in high school when the Bucks won the 1971 NBA title. The age and height shown on this page before had no source.
Does Valerie Daniels-Carter own the Milwaukee Bucks?
She is a minority owner. In 2014 she and four other Black Milwaukee executives formed Partners for Community Impact, which bought a minority stake in the Bucks. She had earlier been part of Michael Jordan's 2003 attempt to buy the team.
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Sources
- Milwaukee Magazine: https://www.milwaukeemag.com/how-milwaukees-burger-queen-built-her-fast-food-empire/
- QSR Magazine: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/growth/franchising/the-franchising-journey-of-dr-valerie-daniels-carter/
- Andscape: https://andscape.com/features/bucks-minority-owner-valerie-daniels-carter-from-hbcu-to-nba-finals/
- AAA Newsroom: https://newsroom.aaa.com/2017/05/renowned-entrepreneur-valerie-daniels-carter-elected-board-chair-aaa/
- WISN: https://www.wisn.com/article/owner-releases-statement-after-fire-damages-milwaukee-building/71372881
- TMJ4: https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/in-your-community/milwaukee-county/dr-valerie-daniels-carter-speaks-out-after-holy-redeemer-fire-its-not-the-building-that-makes-the-vision
