1. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, a French businesswoman and philanthropist, boasts a net worth of $94.9 billion, making her the wealthiest woman globally, according to Forbes. She is the granddaughter of L’Oreal’s founder, and her family retains a 33% share in the beauty giant. Having served on the company’s board since 1997, she is now its chairperson. Meyers is the 11th richest person in the world.
2. Alice Walton
Alice Walton, with a net worth of $61.3 billion, is the world’s second richest woman. She is the sole daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton and holds a 50% stake in the company. An avid art enthusiast, she owns a personal art collection valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.
3. Julia Koch
Julia Koch has a net worth of $59 billion, entering the billionaire ranks when she and her children inherited a 42% stake in Koch Industries from her late husband, David, who passed away in August 2019. Originally from Iowa, she moved to New York in the 1980s to work as an assistant to fashion designer Adolfo. Julia and her late husband donated $10 million to Stanford Children’s Hospital and Mount Sinai Medical Center for food allergy research.
4. Jacqueline Mars
Jacqueline Mars, the fourth richest woman globally with a net worth of $38.3 billion, owns one-third of Mars Incorporated, the largest candy maker in the world. The company, founded by her grandfather Frank C. Mars in 1911, includes brands like IAMS and Pedigree. She inherited her stake in the company.
5. Miriam Adelson
Miriam Adelson, an American physician and billionaire, has a net worth of $37.7 billion. She inherited a 50% stake in Las Vegas Sands from her late husband, Sheldon Adelson, who passed away in early 2021. Miriam was a major financial supporter of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and remains a significant donor to conservative causes in the U.S.
6. Mackenzie Scott
Mackenzie Scott, an award-winning author and the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, joined the billionaire list in 2023 with a net worth of $29.5 billion. After 25 years of marriage, they divorced in mid-2019, and she received 25% of Jeff’s Amazon shares, amounting to a 4% stake in the company.
7. Gina Rinehart
Gina Rinehart, with a net worth of $26.9 billion, is the executive chair of Hancock Prospecting Group, an Australian mining and agriculture company founded by her father, Lang Hancock, in 1992. Although she dropped out of an Economics program at Sydney University, she is the wealthiest person in Australia and featured in Forbes’ 100 most powerful women in the world.
8. Susanne Klatten
Susanne Klatten, with a net worth of $24.6 billion, is the owner and deputy chairperson of Atlanta, a pharmaceutical and chemical company. She also holds a 19% stake in BMW, inherited from her parents Johanna and Herbert Quandt.
9. Iris Fontbona
Iris Fontbona, with a net worth of $22.8 billion, alongside her children, controls Antofagasta Plc, which operates copper mines
in Chile and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. She is the widow of the late Chilean tycoon Andrónico Luksic, who amassed his fortune in mining and beverages. Fontbona also holds a significant stake in Quiñenco, a major Chilean conglomerate active in banking, beer, and manufacturing.
10. Abigail Johnson
Abigail Johnson, with a net worth of $21.6 billion, is the CEO of Fidelity Investments since 2014. She inherited the company from her father, Ned Johnson III, and holds a 24.5% stake in the firm. A Harvard Business School graduate, she is the tenth richest woman in the world.
