World’s 5 richest women see combined net worth rise by $48B

1. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, 70

Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, the heiress to the L’Oréal cosmetic fortune and the world’s richest woman. Photo by Reuters

French billionaire Françoise Bettencourt Meyers inherited the L’Oréal cosmetic fortune from her mother, Liliane Bettencourt, who passed away in 2017.

She currently holds a stake of nearly 35% in the beauty behemoth, which her grandfather - Eugène Schueller – established in 1909.

The firm, boasting 36 prestigious brands like Maybelline, Kiehl’s and Yves Saint Laurent, earned 41.18 billion euros (US$44 billion) in sales last year, according to its annual report.

Bettencourt Meyers was first ranked as the richest woman in the world by Forbes in 2019 with a net worth $42.2 billion.

Her wealth has more than doubled since to $95 billion as of April 24, allowing her to secure the top spot for the fourth consecutive year.

Compared to a year ago, her net worth has grown $14.5 billion.

2. Alice Walton, 74

Alice Walton. Photo courtesy of the Walton Museum

American billionaire Alice Walton is one of the heirs to the world’s top retailer Walmart, founded by her father Sam Walton.

She received a 12% stake in the giant when Sam passed away in 1992 but has never been on its board of directors since, opting instead to focus on philanthropic endeavors related to human creativity and well-being, according to the Walton Museum.

A 34% jump in Walmart’s share price in the last year catapulted her net worth to $71.3 as of April 24, up $15.6 billion from 2023.

3. Julia Koch, 61

Julia Koch, president of the David H. Koch Foundation. Photo courtesy of the foundation

Julia Koch’s wealth stems from a 42% stake in Koch Industries, the second-largest private enterprise in the U.S., that she and her three children received after the passing of her husband and the company’s co-owner, David Koch, in 2019.

The conglomerate has diversified interests ranging from oil refining and medical technology to paper towels, generating an estimated $125 million in annual revenues.

Koch currently leads the David H. Koch Foundation, a charitable organization through which she and her late husband have donated billions to causes like poverty, addiction-related issues, criminal justice and education, according to Forbes.

This year, the American billionaire dropped from second to third richest woman with a net worth of $65.3 billion as of Arpil 24, representing a 10.7% increase from 2023.

4. Jacqueline Mars, 84

Jacqueline B. Mars accepting the R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award at the 2017 Gold Medal Club Reception with Tucker Johnson (left) and Brownlee O. Currey, Jr. (right). Photo courtesy of the USET Foundation

Jacqueline Mars is the American heiress of the world's leading candy manufacturer Mars Inc., which was founded by her grandfather Frank C. Mars.

The company is known for several popular brands, including M&M's and Snickers.

She owns an estimated one-third of the firm and previously served on its board until 2016.

Her net worth increased by $200 million from last year to $38.5 billion as of April 24.

5. Mackenzie Scott, 53

MacKenzie Scott is seen at a party in Beverly Hills, California, March 4, 2018. Photo by Reuters

American billionaire philanthropist Mackenzie Scott acquired her 4% stake in Amazon, one of the world’s largest e-commerce platform, from her ex-husband and the company’s founder and chairman Jeff Bezos through their 2019 divorce.

In late March, she donated $640 million to 361 nonprofits, bringing her total lifetime philanthropic giving to $16.5 billion, AP reported.

Despite her efforts to give away her wealth, Scott’s net worth still went up $11.2 billion from last year to $33.5 billion as of April 24.

Had she not been so generous, she would be worth $69 billion and rank as the third richest woman on the list, according to Forbes.