Table of Contents
Who are the richest women in the world? What industries do they make their money from? Discover all this and more about the top women billionaires.
Top billionaires worldwide are famous for their diverse ventures in finance, fashion, e-commerce, and the hair and skincare industries. Their stories are particularly intriguing regarding women who have excelled in a male-dominated world. Forbes tracks billionaire wealth in real time, inspiring our list of the richest women globally.
As of April 11, 2024, here are the top women billionaires on our list:
| Rank and Name | Net Worth (as of April 9, 2024) | Source of Wealth |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers and Family | $92.2 billion | L’Oréal |
| 2. Alice Walton | $72.7 billion | Walmart |
| 3. Julia Koch and Family | $66.1 billion | Koch Industries |
| 4. Jacqueline Mars | $38.7 billion | Mars Inc |
| 5. MacKenzie Scott | $37.7 billion | Amazon |
| 6. Savitri Jindal & family | $35.5 billion | JSW Group |
| 7. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant | $33.3 billion | Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Group |
| 8. Miriam Adelson and Family | $32.1 billion | Las Vegas Sands |
| 9. Gina Rinehart | $30.7 billion | Hancock Prospecting |
| 10. Iris Fontbona and family | $23.1 billion | Mining |
A closer look at the wealthiest women in the world
How did the top women billionaires earn their fortunes? Let’s explore that and more about them:
1. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers and Family
- Age: 70
- 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 over a third of the company. Francoise is the chairwoman of the family holding company. Although the firm’s performance declined during the pandemic, it has significantly rebounded. By the end of 2023, Francoise became the first woman to have a fortune of $100 billion.
2. Alice Walton
- Age: 74
- Country: United States
Alice Walton, another heiress, is the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. Unlike her three brothers, two of whom are involved in the business, Alice has focused on the arts. In 2011, she founded the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Recently, Alice made headlines by selling over $21 million worth of stocks from the Walton Family Holdings Trust, where she serves as a trustee.
3. Julia Koch and Family
- Age: 62
- Country: United States
Julia Koch and her three children inherited 42 percent of Koch Industries from her late husband, David, who passed away in 2019. Julia is also known for her philanthropy. The Julia Koch Family Foundation donated $75 million to NYU Langone Health to build a new, state-of-the-art Ambulatory Care Center in West Palm Beach.
4. Jacqueline Mars
- Age: 84
- Country: United States
Jacqueline Mars owns roughly a third of Mars, the candy, food, and pet care company founded by her grandfather. She served on the company’s board for about 20 years until retiring in 2016, passing the role to her son, Stephen Badger.
Jacqueline also has a notable hobby of owning a horse farm in Virginia, known for training horses ridden by Olympic medalists.
5. MacKenzie Scott
- Age: 54
- Country: United States
During her divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie received a 4 percent stake in the company. She pledged to donate about half of her wealth after the divorce and gave around $16.5 billion to nearly 2,000 nonprofits. MacKenzie is also an author and has published two books.
6. Savitri Jindal & family
- Age: 74
- Country: India
Savitri is the only Indian woman among the top ten richest women globally. She chairs the Jindal Group, which operates in steel, power, cement, and infrastructure industries. Savitri inherited her position and wealth from her late husband, Jindal founder Om Prakash Jindal.
In addition to her business role, Savitri has 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 switched their allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
7. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant
- Age: 79
- Country: Switzerland
Rafaela Aponte-Diamant and her husband jointly own a 50 percent stake in MSC, the world’s biggest shipping company. Unlike many others, Rafaela is self-made, as she and her husband started the business together.
She also oversees MSC Cruises, the shipping line’s holiday cruise division. Rafaela is in charge of decorating the ships in this segment.
8. Miriam Adelson and Family
- Age: 78
- Country: United States
Miriam Adelson, the widow of Sheldon Adelson, the former 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 famous casinos in Singapore and Macao.
Miriam and her late husband were the biggest donors to Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign, contributing $90 million.
9. Gina Rinehart
- Age: 70
- Country: Australia
Initially established by her father, Lang Hancock, Hancock Prospecting—a mining and agricultural company—was rescued and revitalized by Gina. She assumed the role of executive chairwoman in 1992.
Hancock Prospecting is a significant shareholder in MP Materials, a company dealing in rare-earth materials. Recently, MP Materials discussed a potential merger with Lynas Rare Earths.
10. Iris Fontbona and family
- Age: 80
- Country: Chilean
Meet Iris Fontbona, a Chilean businesswoman who heads the Antofagasta company, which is primarily focused on mining. She holds the title of the richest woman in Latin America. Apart from leading the mining firm, she also owns a significant portion of Quiñenco, a company involved in banking, manufacturing, and beverages. At 80 years old, Iris Fontbona has amassed a fortune of $23.1 billion (€21.6 billion), earning her the 10th spot on the list of the world’s wealthiest women.
Conclusion
the wealthiest women in the world in 2024 represent a diverse range of industries and backgrounds, showcasing their exceptional entrepreneurial skills, inheritance, or strategic investments. From the cosmetics industry to technology, mining, real estate, and finance, these women have accumulated vast fortunes through their hard work, determination, and sometimes through inheritance or marriage.
Their wealth reflects their success and significant contributions to their respective industries and the global economy. Whether through innovation, leadership, or strategic decision-making, these women have cemented their places among the world’s richest individuals, inspiring future generations of women to pursue their ambitions and achieve financial success.
FAQs
Q1: Who are the top 10 richest women in the world in 2024?
Ans: The top 10 richest women in the world in 2024 include Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, Alice Walton, and Mackenzie Scott.
Q2: How did they accumulate their wealth?
Ans: These women have accumulated wealth through various means such as inheritance, entrepreneurship, investments, and business ventures.
Q3: What industries are they involved in?
Ans: The industries these women are involved in vary widely and include sectors such as technology, retail, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and finance.
Q4: Are they self-made billionaires?
Ans: While some of these women have built their fortunes from the ground up through their efforts, others have inherited their wealth and expanded it through strategic investments and business decisions.
Q5: How does their wealth compare to the richest men?
Ans: The wealth of the richest women in the world is substantial, but it often pales compared to the fortunes amassed by the wealthiest men. However, there are exceptions, with some women ranking among the top billionaires globally.
Q6: Do they engage in philanthropy?
Ans: Many of these wealthy women are active philanthropists, dedicating a portion of their wealth to charitable causes and initiatives to address various social, environmental, and humanitarian issues.
Q7: What are some notable projects or initiatives they support?
Ans: The projects and initiatives these women support vary widely and may include educational programs, healthcare initiatives, environmental conservation efforts, poverty alleviation projects, and more.
Q8: How do they impact gender equality and women empowerment?
Ans: The success and visibility of these wealthy women can serve as powerful symbols of gender equality and women’s empowerment, inspiring other women and girls to pursue their ambitions and break barriers in traditionally male-dominated fields.
Q9: How do they balance their professional and personal lives?
Ans: Balancing professional and personal lives can be challenging, especially for individuals with significant responsibilities and wealth. These women may employ various strategies such as delegation, time management, and prioritization to maintain harmony between their work and personal commitments.
Q10: Are there any trends or patterns among the top 10 richest women in the world in 2024?
Ans: While each woman’s journey to wealth may be unique, there may be common trends or patterns, such as a focus on innovation, strategic investments, diversification of assets, and a commitment to philanthropy and social responsibility.
