Table of Contents
- Who are the wealthiest women in the world, and how did they amass their fortunes? Explore the top female billionaires and the industries driving their success.
- The world’s richest billionaires are well-known for their ventures across sectors like finance, fashion, e-commerce, and hair and skincare. What makes the stories of these women particularly fascinating is their ability to thrive in a male-dominated world. Forbes tracks the wealth of billionaires in real-time, providing us with a definitive list of the richest women globally.
As of April 11, 2024, here are the top female billionaires featured on our list:
| Rank and Name | Net Worth (as of April 9, 2024) | Source of Wealth |
|---|---|---|
| Francoise Bettencourt Meyers and Family | $92.2 billion | L’Oréal |
| Alice Walton | $72.7 billion | Walmart |
| Julia Koch and Family | $66.1 billion | Koch Industries |
| Jacqueline Mars | $38.7 billion | Mars Inc |
| MacKenzie Scott | $37.7 billion | Amazon |
| Savitri Jindal & family | $35.5 billion | JSW Group |
| Rafaela Aponte-Diamant | $33.3 billion | Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Group |
| Miriam Adelson and Family | $32.1 billion | Las Vegas Sands |
| Gina Rinehart | $30.7 billion | Hancock Prospecting |
| Iris Fontbona and family | $23.1 billion | Mining |
- A closer look at the wealthiest women in the world
- How did the top female billionaires build their fortunes? Let’s dive into their stories and more:
1. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers and Family
- Age: 70 years old
- Country: France
With her generational wealth, Francoise is currently the richest woman in the world. As the granddaughter of the L’Oréal founder, she and her family own more than a third of the company. Francoise serves as the chairwoman of the family holding company. Despite a decline in performance during the pandemic, the firm has made a strong recovery. By the end of 2023, Francoise became the first woman to amass a fortune of $100 billion.
2. Alice Walton
- Age: 74 years old
- Country: United States of America
Alice Walton, another prominent heiress, is the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. Unlike her three brothers, two of whom are active in the family business, Alice has dedicated her efforts to the arts. In 2011, she founded the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Recently, Alice made headlines after selling over $21 million worth of stock from the Walton Family Holdings Trust, where she serves as a trustee.
3. Julia Koch and Family
- Age: 62 years old
- Country: United States of America
Julia Koch, along with her three children, inherited 42 percent of Koch Industries from her late husband, David, who passed away in 2019. Julia is also renowned for her philanthropy. Through the Julia Koch Family Foundation, she donated $75 million to NYU Langone Health to fund the construction of a new, state-of-the-art Ambulatory Care Center in West Palm Beach.
4. Jacqueline Mars
- Age: 84 years old
- Country: United States of America
Jacqueline Mars owns approximately a third of Mars, the renowned candy, food, and pet care company founded by her grandfather. She served on the company’s board for about 20 years before retiring in 2016, passing the role to her son, Stephen Badger.
In addition to her business ventures, Jacqueline is passionate about horse farming in Virginia, where her farm is known for training horses ridden by Olympic medalists.
5. MacKenzie Scott
- Age: 54 years old
- Country: United States of America
During her divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott received a 4 percent stake in the company. She committed to donating about half of her wealth post-divorce, contributing approximately $16.5 billion to nearly 2,000 nonprofits.
In addition to her philanthropy, MacKenzie is also an author and has published two books.
6. Savitri Jindal & family
- Age: 74 years old
- Country: India
Savitri Jindal is the only Indian woman among the top ten richest women globally. She chairs the Jindal Group, a conglomerate with interests in steel, power, cement, and infrastructure industries. Savitri inherited her position and wealth from her late husband, Om Prakash Jindal, the founder of the group.
Beyond her business endeavours, Savitri has also ventured into politics. She served as a minister in the Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Haryana. As of March 28, 2024, she and her son, Naveen Jindal, have shifted their allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
7. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant
- Age: 79 years old
- Country: Switzerland
Rafaela Aponte-Diamant and her husband jointly own a 50 percent stake in MSC, the world’s largest shipping company. Unlike many others, Rafaela is self-made, having co-founded the business with her husband.
She also manages MSC Cruises, the holiday cruise division of the shipping line. Rafaela is responsible for overseeing the decoration of the ships in this segment.
8. Miriam Adelson and Family
- Age: 78 years old
- Country: United States of America
Miriam Adelson, the widow of Sheldon Adelson, the late CEO and chairman of the casino company Las Vegas Sands, along with her family, owns more than half of the company. Las Vegas Sands operates renowned casinos in Singapore and Macao.
Miriam and her late husband were the largest donors to Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign, contributing $90 million.
9. Gina Rinehart
- Age: 70 years old
- Country: Australia
Originally founded by her father, Lang Hancock, Hancock Prospecting—a mining and agricultural company—was revived and strengthened by Gina Rinehart. She took on the role of executive chairwoman in 1992.
Hancock Prospecting holds a significant stake in MP Materials, a company specialising in rare-earth materials. Recently, MP Materials explored the possibility of a merger with Lynas Rare Earths.
10. Iris Fontbona and family
- Age: 80 years old
- Country: Chile
Meet Iris Fontbona, a Chilean businesswoman who leads Antofagasta, a company primarily focused on mining. She holds the title of the richest woman in Latin America. In addition to her leadership role at the mining company, she owns a significant stake in Quiñenco, a conglomerate involved in banking, manufacturing, and beverages. At 80 years old, Iris Fontbona has accumulated a fortune of $23.1 billion (€21.6 billion), earning her the 10th spot among the world’s wealthiest women.
Conclusion
The wealthiest women in the world in 2024 come from a wide array of industries and backgrounds, each showcasing remarkable entrepreneurial skills, strategic investments, or inherited wealth. From the cosmetics industry to technology, mining, real estate, and finance, these women have amassed immense fortunes through their hard work, determination, and, in some cases, inheritance or marriage.
Their wealth not only reflects their individual success but also their significant contributions to their industries and the global economy. Whether through innovation, leadership, or strategic decision-making, these women have solidified their positions among the wealthiest individuals in the world, serving as powerful inspirations for future generations of women to chase their dreams and achieve financial success.
