Top 10 Richest Women in the World [2024]

The narrative of wealth and success has undergone a significant transformation in recent decades, with an increasing number of women ascending to the pinnacle of financial achievement. Once a rarity in the global economic landscape, female billionaires now stand as powerful symbols of entrepreneurship, leadership, and financial prowess.

Breaking through societal barriers and defying traditional gender roles, these women have forged their paths to immense wealth through diverse avenues, from innovative entrepreneurship and corporate leadership to strategic investments, inheritance, and divorce.

This article explores the fascinating stories and accomplishments of the top 10 richest women in the world, shedding light on the dynamic and evolving role of women in the world of wealth and influence.

1. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers

• Net worth: $88.2 billion

Françoise Bettencourt Meyers is the richest woman in the world with an estimated net worth of $88.2 billion. She inherited her fortune from her late mother, Liliane Bettencourt whose father founded cosmetics giant L’Oréal.

Françoise became France’s reigning L’Oreal heiress and the world’s richest woman in 2017 when her mother Liliane Bettencourt, died at age 94. She has served on L’Oreal’s board since 1997 and became the chairwoman of the family holding company which owns 33% of L’Oreal.

Francoise also serves as the president of her family’s philanthropic foundation, which encourages French progress in the sciences and arts. She was reported by Forbes to be the woman to cross the $100 Billion threshold in December 2023.

2. Alice Walton

• Net Worth: $82.2 billion

Alice Walton has a net worth of $82.2 billion and she is another known figure among the top 10 richest women in the world. She was born on 7th October 1949 in Newport, Arkansas, and was raised with her 3 brothers.

Walton is the daughter of Sam Walton, the founder of one of the most successful retail chains in the world, Walmart. Alice is the heiress to the Walmart fortune. She also founded the Llama Company in 1988, but it has since closed down.

Although she lost her spot as the world’s richest woman to Françoise Bettencourt Meyers in 2021, she gained $7.4 billion, thanks to Walmart stock rising more than 5% since mid-March 2020. Alice Walton is second on our list of the top 10 richest women in the world.

3. Julia Koch

• Net Worth: $74.6 billion

Another colossus on the list of the top 10 richest women in the world is Julia Koch. Julia Flesher was born in Indianola, Iowa in 1963. Her family owned a furniture store on Highway 92, according to a 1998 New York Times report. She moved to Arkansas eight years later when her parents opened a clothes store in Conway, north of Little Rock.

The source of Flesher Koch’s wealth is her late husband’s 42% ownership position in the privately held industrial company Koch Industries. One of the biggest privately held businesses in the US, Koch Industries generates yearly revenues of around $125 billion, according to a source familiar with the business’s financial performance.

In August 2019, David Koch passed away. All of the shares that David Koch previously owned are ascribed in this study to Flesher Koch & family. On August 23, 2019, Koch spokeswoman Christin Fernandez stated via email that “David’s shares remain with his family.” Julia Koch is third on our list of the top 10 richest women in the world.

4. Savitri Devi Jindal

• Net Worth: $39.5 billion

Savitri Devi Jindal is an Indian businesswoman and politician. She is the chairperson emerita of the O.P. Jindal Group. She is also the president of Maharaja Agrasen Medical College, Agroha.

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.

5. Jacqueline Mars

• Net Worth: $38.5 Billion

Jacqueline Mars has a net worth of $38.5 billion and is also one of the richest women in the world. She inherited an estimated one-third of Mars Incorporated, the world’s largest candymaker, founded by her grandfather, Frank C. Mars in 1911.

Mars Inc., a privately held US candy, food, and pet goods firm with headquarters in McLean, Virginia, is where the majority of her wealth comes from. According to registrations with private companies, the Mars family holds all of the company’s shares.

After Forrest Jr. passed away in 2016, the one-third credited to him was divided equally among his four children. Regarding the breakdown of individual stockholders, the company refuses to comment. Mars Inc also owns some of the most well-known and loved candy brands in the United States, including Skittles, M&Ms, Mars Bar, Starburst, and Snickers, as well as well-liked snack products like Combos and Altoids.

Jacqueline Mars doesn’t have an official role with Mars, Inc., but she graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1961 with a degree in anthropology. As of 2024, Jacqueline Mars has a net worth of $38.5, making her 5th on our list of the top 10 richest women in the world.

6. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant

• Net Worth: $34.7 billion

Rafaela Aponte-Diamant an Italian billionaire and a major shareholder of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Group, along with her husband, Gianluigi Aponte. 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. She is worth $34.7 billion.

7. MacKenzie Scott

• Net Worth: $34.1 billion

Mackenzie has a net worth of $34.1 billion and she is one of the richest women in the world.  Formerly known as MacKenzie Bezos but now MacKenzie Scott was born on 7th April 1970 in San Francisco, California, U.S.

The American novelist and philanthropist ranked 7th among the richest women in 2024. MacKenzie was the wife of Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. After a long, harmonious marriage of 25 years, she divorced him and MacKenzie received a 4% stake in Amazon, which was worth about $35 billion at the time.

Furthermore, MacKenzie in her philanthropic spirit, in May 2019, signed a pledge to give most of her wealth away to a charity. She acted out her words when she donated around $1.7 Billion to 116 non-profit organizations in July 2020.

8. Abigail Johnson

• Net Worth: $31.3 billion

Abigail Pierrepont Johnson was born in Boston, Massachusetts on December 21, 1961. She has two siblings, Edward C. Johnson IV and Elizabeth Johnson. She attended the exclusive Buckingham Browne School in Cambridge, Massachusetts before earning a bachelor of arts in art history from Hobart and William Smith College in 1984.

After college, she spent a brief time working as a consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton. Johnson continued on to Harvard University, where she earned a Master of Business Administration degree.

Abigail Johnson has been the CEO of Fidelity Investments since 2014 when she took over for her father, Ned Johnson III. Her grandparents, Edward C. Johnson II created the corporation in 1946, and she has a 24.5 percent share in it, which manages $4.2 trillion in assets.

Her net worth doubled from $10.8 Billion in 2020 to $20.9 Billion in 2021. As of 2024, Abby Johnson has a net worth of 31.3 Billion, making her the 8th person on our list of richest women in the world.

9. Gina Rinehart

• Net Worth: $30.4 billion

Gina Rinehart has a net worth of $30.4 Billion ranking her the 9th person among Forbes richest women in the world. Rinehart is one of the richest people in Australia.

Rinehart is the Executive Chairwoman of Hancock Prospecting, a privately owned mineral exploration and extraction company founded by her father, Lang Hancock.

The majority of Rinehart’s wealth comes from her ownership of the little mining company Hancock Prospecting. She despises being referred to as a mining heiress because she considers herself a self-made entrepreneur who rebuilt her late father’s financially distressed company.

The majority of her family’s economic interests are held by the group. These include royalties that ensure less than 1.25 percent of the yearly revenue generated by a few of the Hamersley Iron Ore mines run by Rio Tinto, a company that is publicly traded. The enterprise value-to-sales and price-to-book value multiples of two publicly traded peer businesses, Rio Tinto and Vale, are used to value the business in addition to its reported financials for the fiscal year that concluded on June 30, 2021.

10. Elaine Marshall

• Net Worth: $28.4 billion

Elaine Tettemer Marshall is an American billionaire heiress. In 2006, Elaine Marshall and her two sons inherited the 16 percent beneficial stake her husband, E. Pierce Marshall, held in Koch Industries. According to various media reports, Marshall leads a circumspect and quiet life in Dallas, Texas.

Her father-in-law was an early partner of Koch Industries founder Fred Koch. Minority control was passed down from him to Pierce and then to the trust representing Elaine and her two sons. According to Forbes, her son Preston Marshall is a former director of the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank co-founded by Charles Koch. The other son, E Pierce Marshall, Jr., runs the investment firm Elevage Capital Management.

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Summary

We hope you enjoyed learning about the top 10 richest women in the world. While it is apparent that many of the women acquired their billionaire status through inheritances and divorce settlements, it is interesting that they are putting it to good use and even increasing it through their investments.

Here is a recap of the top 10 richest women in the world for the year 2024:

1. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers – $88.2 billion
2. Alice Walton – $82.2 billion
3. Julia Koch – $74.6 billion
4. Savitri Jindal – $39.5 billion
5. Jacqueline Mars – $38.5 billion
6. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant – $34.7 billion
7. MacKenzie Scott – $34.1 billion
8. Abigail Johnson – $31.3 billion
9. Gina Rinehart – $30.4 billion
10. Elaine Marshall – $28.4 billion