The top ten richest women in the world have made their fortunes in a variety of fields, including fashion and technology. These influential people, who frequently inherit fortunes or run prosperous businesses, are a major force in international finance. Their experiences encourage and demonstrate how women’s roles in leadership and wealth generation are changing.
Top 10 Richest Women Worldwide
1. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers
Net worth- $97.6 billion
Source of wealth- L’Oréal
Francoise presently holds the title of richest woman in the world because of her generational fortune. She and her family hold over one-third of L’Oréal, and she is the granddaughter of the company’s founder. Francoise is the family holding company’s chairwoman.
Although the epidemic negatively impacted the company’s performance, it has since much improved; in fact, by the end of 2023, Francoise became the first woman to become a $100 billion fortune holder.
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2. Alice Walton
Net worth- $78.5 billion
Source of wealth- Walmart
Alice Walton, another heiress, is one of the children of Walmart founder Sam Walton; she has three brothers, two of whom have joined the company, unlike her. Her preferred domain has been art. In 2011, she established the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, her hometown.
Alice made headlines about a month ago for selling over $21 million in value from Walton Family Holdings Trus equities, in which she serves as a trustee.
3. Julia Koch
Net worth- $65.5 billion
Source of wealth- Koch Industries
Julia Koch and her three children acquired 42 percent of Koch Industries after her husband David died in 2019. Julie has created a name for herself as a philanthropist; the Julia Koch Family Foundation donated $75 million to NYU Langone Health for a new, cutting-edge ambulatory care center in West Palm Beach.
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4. Savitri Jindal
Net worth- $39.8 billion
Source of wealth- JSW Group
Savitri is the head of the Jindal Group, a conglomerate that works in steel, energy, cement, and infrastructure. She is the only Indian named among the top ten richest women in the world. She notably inherited her fortune and prestige from her late husband, Om Prakash Jindal, the founder of Jindal.
Savitri has also dabbled in politics, having held a ministerial position in Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s Congress government in Haryana. She and her son Naveen Jindal has switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party as of March 28, 2024.
5. Jacqueline Mars
Net worth- $37.5 billion
Source of wealth- Mars Inc
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.
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6. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant
Net worth- $35.6 billion
Source of wealth- Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Group
Rafaela Aponte-Diamant controls 50% of MSC, the world’s largest shipping line, alongside her husband, who owns the remaining 50%. Unlike most of the others on this list, she is a self-made woman because she and her husband founded the firm together.
Rafaela is in charge of decorating ships for MSC Cruises, the shipping line’s holiday cruise division.
7. MacKenzie Scott
Net worth- $34.3 billion
Source of wealth- Amazon
During her divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie acquired a 4% share in the company. She committed to give away roughly half of her wealth shortly after announcing the terms of the divorce, and she has since donated approximately $16.5 billion to nearly 2,000 NGOs. She is also an author, having released two books thus far.
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8. Gina Rinehart
Net worth- $31.1 billion
Source of wealth- Hancock Prospecting
Gina’s father, Lang Hancock, founded Hancock Prospecting, a mining and agricultural company, but Gina saved it from bankruptcy and restored it. She took over as executive chairperson in 1992.
Hancock Prospecting has been identified as a key shareholder in MP Materials, a rare-earth material business that recently considered a merger with Lynas Rare Earths.
9. Abigail Johnson
Net worth- $29.5 billion
Source of wealth- Fidelity Investments
In 2014, Abigail Johnson took over as CEO of Fidelity Investments when her father passed away. Her ownership position in the company is 28.5%. Notably, Fidelity has entered the US market for Bitcoin spot ETFs, which are traded under the symbol FBTC.
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10. Miriam Adelson
Net worth- $29.4 billion
Source of wealth- Las Vegas Sands
More than half of the company, which runs well-known casinos in Singapore and Macao, is controlled by Miriam Adelson, the widow of Sheldon Adelson, the former chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands.
She and her spouse became the biggest fundraisers at the time, contributing $90 million to Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign.
Top 10 Richest Women In The World 2024: Conclusion
The wealth and success of the world’s top ten richest women demonstrate their influence across industries. Their accomplishments highlight the expanding role of women in global business and finance, breaking down boundaries and motivating future generations to set ambitious goals and redefine success on their own terms.
How did these ladies become so wealthy?
Generally, one can acquire wealth through inheritance, investments, business endeavors, or a mix of these. Real estate, fashion, and technology are among the industries where a large number of the wealthiest women work.
What is the role of inheritance in their wealth?
For some on the list, inheritance is important since they have inherited shares in significant family-run companies. To increase their fortune even further, they frequently diversify their investments or enlarge these firms.
Are any of the richest women self-made?
Indeed, a number of the wealthiest women are self-made, having amassed their fortunes through enterprise and astute business judgment. Media tycoons and tech entrepreneurs are two examples.
