Today we are taking a look at the wealthiest women in the world, their net worth, their age, their source of wealth, and more. Let’s start with the richest woman in world;
1. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers & family
Net worth: $98.6B
Age: 70
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, who is the granddaughter of L’Oreal’s founder, holds the title of the world’s wealthiest woman. She is also the 15th richest person in the world as per Forbes.
She and her family possess approximately 33% of the stock in L’Oreal. Since 1997, Bettencourt Meyers has been a member of L’Oreal’s board and leads the family’s holding company as its chairwoman. Following the death of her mother, Liliane Bettencourt—who was previously the richest woman in the world— in 2017 at the age of 94, she inherited the title of France’s premier L’Oreal heiress.
2. Alice Walton
Net worth: $71.8B
Age: 74
Alice Walton, the sole daughter of Walmart’s founder, Sam Walton, has charted a unique path by dedicating herself to the arts, distinguishing herself from her brothers, Rob and Jim, who pursued careers within Walmart.
In 2011, she founded the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, her birthplace, showcasing masterpieces by renowned artists such as Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell, and Mark Rothko. Additionally, in 2022, the comprehensive health institute she established in Bentonville the previous year was rebranded as the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, further solidifying her commitment to contributing to her community beyond the retail industry.
3. Julia Koch & family
Net worth: $61.2B
Age: 61
Julia Koch and her three children came into possession of a 42% share in Koch Industries following the passing of her husband, David, in August 2019, who was 79 at the time. Originally from Iowa, Koch relocated to New York City during the 1980s, where she began her career as an assistant to the fashion designer Adolfo, serving a roster of eminent clients, including the former First Lady Nancy Reagan. Julia’s and David’s paths first crossed on a blind date in 1991, and after a serendipitous encounter six months later, they started dating, eventually marrying in 1996.
4. Jacqueline Mars
Net worth: $39.2B
Age: 84
Jacqueline Mars owns an estimated one-third of Mars, the candy, food and pet care firm founded by her grandfather. She worked for the company for nearly 20 years and served on the board until 2016. Her son Stephen Badger is on Mars’ board of directors. Mars serves on the board of the National Archives and was formerly on the board of the Washington National Opera. Her brother John owns an estimated third of Mars; her late brother Forrest Jr.’s four daughters own the rest.
5. Miriam Adelson & family
Net worth: $35.9B
Age: 78
Miriam Adelson, the surviving spouse of Sheldon Adelson, the late CEO and chairman of the Las Vegas Sands casino corporation who passed away in 2021 at the age of 87, along with her family, now controls a majority stake in the gambling conglomerate. The company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, operates notable casinos in both Singapore and Macao.
Originating from Israel, Miriam pursued a career in medicine with a specialization in addiction treatment. In a major business move, Las Vegas Sands divested its iconic Vegas Strip properties, including the Venetian Resort and the Sands Expo and Convention Center, to Apollo Global Management and VICI Properties in February 2022, fetching $6.25 billion.
6. MacKenzie Scott
Net worth: $35.4B
Age: 53
MacKenzie Scott, renowned for her philanthropic endeavors, her career as an author, and her previous marriage to Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos—a union that lasted 25 years—gained a 4% ownership in Amazon following their divorce settlement in 2019.
Shortly after making her divorce terms public via Twitter in May 2019, she committed to the Giving Pledge, vowing to donate a majority of her wealth throughout her lifetime. Through her platform, Yield Giving, Scott has disclosed her contributions totaling $14.4 billion to almost 1,600 nonprofit organizations since 2020.
Her philanthropy is characterized by an unrestricted approach, allowing recipient organizations the autonomy to utilize the funds as they see fit. Besides her philanthropic efforts, Scott is an accomplished novelist and once studied under and worked for the acclaimed author Toni Morrison at Princeton as a research assistant.
Scott and Bezos met in 1992 when they both worked at hedge fund D.E. Shaw.
7. Savitri Jindal
Net worth: $30.7 B
Age: 73
India’s richest woman Savitri Jindal is 7th on the richest women in the world list. She is the widow of Om Prakash Jindal, is the chairperson of the Jindal Group, a conglomerate with interests in steel, power, cement, and infrastructure.
After her husband’s death in 2005, their sons took over different company sectors. Her son Sajjan in Mumbai oversees major assets like JSW Steel, while Naveen in Delhi manages Jindal Steel & Power.
The data presented above is updated according to Forbes real time billionaire List as of Feb 2024.
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Ela
March 25, 2024 AT 15:29
funny thing is all these women have somehow “inherited” their wealth via divorce, or as an offspring