What earned the top women billionaires their wealth? Let’s find that and more about them:
Yet another heiress, Alice Walton is one of the offsprings of the Walmart founder Sam Walton she has three brothers, two of whom have joined the business, unlike her. Art has been her domain of choice. In 2011, she founded the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas—her hometown.
2. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers and Family
Generational wealth, as hers may be, means Francoise is the richest woman in the world at the moment. The granddaughter of the founder of L"Oréal, she and her family own over a third of the entity. Francoise serves as the chairwoman of the family holding company.
While the firm"s performance sank during the pandemic, it has since rebounded greatly in fact, Francoise was recorded as the first woman to have $100 billion in fortune at the end of 2023.
3. Julia Koch and Family
- Age: 62
- Country: United States
Julia Koch and her three children inherited 42 percent of Koch Industries from her husband David when he passed away in 2019. Julie has made a name for herself as a philanthropist the Julia Koch Family Foundationâ„¢ has
gifted $75 million to NYU Langone Health for a new, state-of-the-art Ambulatory Care Center in West Palm Beach.
4. Jacqueline Mars
- Age: 85
- Country: United States
Jacqueline Mars owns about a third of Mars, the candy, food, and pet care firm established by her grandfather. She served on the company board for about two decades until her retirement in 2016, when she passed the mantle on to her son, Stephen Badger.
Among her noted hobbies, Jacqueline owns a horse firm in Virginia, one known for having trained horses ridden by Olympic medalists.
5. Savitri Jindal & family
The only Indian name on the list of the top ten richest women in the world, Savitri is the chairperson of the Jindal Group, which spans industries like steel, power, cement, and infrastructure. Notably, she inherited the position and fortune from her late husband, Jindal founder Om Prakash Jindal.
Savitri has also delved into politics, having 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 moved their alliance to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
6. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant
- Age: 79
- Country: Switzerland
Rafaela Aponte-Diamant owns a 50 percent stake in MSC, which happens to be the largest shipping line in the world, along with her husband, who owns the other 50 percent. Unlike most others on this list, she is a self-made woman, as the couple started the business together.
The holiday cruise arm for the shipping line is named MSC Cruises, and Rafaela is responsible for decorating ships in this area.
7. Miriam Adelson & family
- Age: 79
- Country: United States
Miriam Adelson inherited the majority stake in Las Vegas Sands after the death of her husband, casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, in 2021. The company operates resorts in Las Vegas, Singapore, and Macau. A physician by training, she is also a major political donor in the United States, particularly within Republican circles.
8. Abigail Johnson
- Age: 63
- Country: United States
Abigail Johnson became the CEO of Fidelity Investments in 2014, inheriting the firm from her father. She owns a 28.5 percent stake in the company. Notably, Fidelity has recently forayed into Bitcoin spot ETFs in the US, the instrument operating under the ticker FBTC.
9. MacKenzie Scott
MacKenzie Scott gained her fortune from her 2019 divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, receiving a 4 percent stake in the e-commerce giant. She is best known for her large-scale philanthropy, having donated more than $16 billion to over 1,900 organizations. Her giving approach is notable for its speed and lack of restrictions.
10 Marilyn Simons & family
- Age: 74
- Country: United States
Marilyn Simons is the widow of legendary hedge fund manager Jim Simons. The founder of Renaissance Technologies, a quantitative hedge fund, passed away in May 2024. Simons husband and wife co-founded the Simons Foundation in 1994 with the goal of supporting education, maths, and basic science. Through this foundation, Simons has supported autism research and Math For America, which helps STEM teachers in the country. Simons has PhD in economics from Stony Brook University.
