The world’s wealthiest women are in a league of their own. Whether they inherited their fortune or are self-made, it takes courage and a strong will to lead in the world of business which is still dominated by men.
Here are the seven richest women in the world:
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers
Value your time by putting a price tag on it. - Bettencourt Meyers
Estimated net worth: $63.9 billion (R1 165 676 580 000)
Bettencourt Meyers is the granddaughter of L'Oreal founder and chemist Eugène Schueller. The French woman has served as the company’s chairperson since 1997.
She became the world’s wealthiest woman in 2017 after her mother, 94, Liliane Bettencourt, who held the title at the time, died.
Alice Walton
To succeed in this world, you have to change all the time. I long to accomplish a great and noble task but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble. – Alice Walton
Estimated net worth: $54.8bn (R1 003 234 560 000)
Alice Louise Walton is the daughter of Samuel Walton, the founder of the American multinational retail corporation Walmart.
She holds a BA degree in economics and finance. Walton opened an investment bank, Llama Company, which ran for 10 years. She is the chairperson of Walmart.
Julia Koch
I have become a throwback to the 1950s. It is not an original path, but it is interesting nonetheless.
Estimated net worth: $53.4bn (R977 743 320 000)
Koch is an American philanthropist and socialite who inherited her fortune from her late husband, David Koch, who died in 2019.
Her three children and she inherited a 42% stake in Koch Industries. She has an extensive history of working in fashion.
Jacqueline Mars
Standing with the poor means walking away from unethical leaders, even when their companies are ‘succeeding’. I think we so often equate leadership with being experts – the leader is supposed to come in and fix things. But in this interconnected world we live in now, it’s almost impossible for just one person to do that. – Jacqueline Mars
Estimated net worth: $35.8bn (R655 540 960 000)
Jacqueline Mars is is an American heiress and investor. She is the granddaughter of Forrest Mars, founder of the US’s largest candy company.
The wealthy woman joined the business in1982 as food product group president and retired in 2001. Mars holds a degree is in anthropology.
Mackenzie Scott
I am a better person when I am writing, and I am probably a better mother because I can focus all that laser attention on these characters rather than worrying about my kids. – MacKenzie Scott
Estimated net worth: $33.6bn (R615 679 680 000)
Scott is an American novelist, philanthropist and the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. She owns a 4% stake in the e-commerce company.
Her books include “The Testing of Luther Albright” (2005) and “Traps” (2013). According to Forbes, she has donated over $8.8bn to charities.
Gina Rinehart
There is no monopoly on becoming a millionaire. If you’re jealous of those with more money, don’t just sit there and complain. Do something to make more money yourself – spend less time drinking, or smoking and socialising and more time working. – Gina Rinehart
Estimated net worth: $27bn (R49 972 100 000)
She is a mining magnate and heiress from Australia. Rinehart is the executive chairman of Hancock Prospecting, which was founded by her father, Lang Hancock, as a privately held mineral exploration and extraction company. Bond University awarded her an honorary doctorate.
Miriam Adelson
I try to live my life with honesty and insight. I know my value internally, so I’m very secure about myself. – Miriam Aldeson
Estimated net worth: $26.1bn (R478 585 260 000)
Adelson is the widow of Sheldon Adelson, the former chief executive and chairman of Las Vegas Sands, a US casino and resort company, who died in 2021.
She is the publisher of the newspaper, “Israel Hayom”. Adelson is highly involved in politics and donated to former US president Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
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