Forbes, the most popular United States business magazine has released top ten richest women in the world in its latest ranking for 2024.
Forbes, in its publication, has named the top 10 richest female billionaires in 2024, adding that 369 out of 2,781 billionaires, or 13.3% are women.
Forbes said the number moved up from 337 in 2023 when women accounted for 12.8% of the list.
Together they are worth nearly $1.8 trillion, about $240 billion more than last year.
Below are the world’s richest women according to Forbes
1. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers is the richest woman on earth with a net worth of $99.5 billion.
She is a 70-year-old French businesswoman and philanthropist. Her source of wealth is L’Oréal. She is the granddaughter of the L’Oréal founder and heir to the family fortune. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers is the world’s richest woman for the fourth consecutive year. The majority of her wealth is tied to her nearly 35% stake in cosmetics giant L’Oréal Group, which has $45 billion in revenue and marquee brands like Maybelline, Kiehl’s, and Lancôme. Bettencourt Meyers, who inherited her fortune from her mother, Liliane Bettencourt who died in 2017, first appeared on Forbes’ billionaires list in 2018 worth $42.2 billion.
2. Alice Walton
Alice Walton is the world’s second richest woman with a net worth of $72.3 billion. Walton is the 74-year-old richest woman in the United States having her source of wealth from Walmart.
The richest woman in America is $15.6 billion wealthier this year, due to a 34% rise in Walmart’s share price in the last 12 months. The heiress is the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton who passed away in 1992. Unlike her brothers, she never sat on the retailer’s board; but focused on art. She’s known for opening the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in her hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas, featuring works from Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell, and Mark Rothko.
3. Julia Koch
Julia Koch is the widow of David Koch, the late American businessman and political activist. Julia Koch is 61 years old, with a net worth of $64.3 billion. She is an American having her source of wealth from Koch Industries. Koch dropped from second to third richest woman this year. She and her three children inherited a 42% stake in Koch Industries, which has businesses ranging from oil refining and medical technology to paper towels. She is a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
4. Jacqueline Mars
Jacqueline Mars is worth $38.5 billion and is the fourth richest woman in the world at the age of 84. Mars’ source of wealth is candy and pet food. The Mars Inc. heir owns the candy and pet food giant along with her brother, John Mars, and her late brother Forrest Jr.’s four daughters. The company owns iconic brands, including M&Ms, Snickers, Ben’s Original and Pedigree dog food. It was founded by her grandfather, Frank C. Mars, who began selling buttercream candy from his kitchen in 1911. Her son, Stephen Badger, sits on Mars’ board.
5. MacKenzie Scott
MacKenzie Scott is the fifth richest woman on earth. She has a net worth of $35.6 billion. The 53-year-old American woman gets her source of wealth from the e-commerce company, Amazon.
The billionaire philanthropist got 4% of Amazon following her 2019 divorce from Jeff Bezos and she pledged to give away most of her wealth soon afterward. In March, Scott awarded $640 million to 361 organizations that had applied in a competition for funding. Her lifetime giving has risen to a total of $17.3 billion, made up of a collection of smaller, no-strings-attached donations that often come as a surprise to recipients.
6. Savitri Jindal
Savitri Jindal is the richest woman in India and sixth in the world with a net worth of $33.5 billion. The 74-year-old woman makes her wealth from steel. Savitri is the chair of Jindal Group and the widow of the founder, Om Prakash Jindal who died in 2005). Jindal Group is active in steel, power, cement, and infrastructure. Following O.P. Jindal’s death in a helicopter crash, the group’s companies were divided among his four sons, who now run them independently. Jindal was the 12th richest woman in 2023, but rising share prices lifted her fortune to the current status on the Forbes list.
7. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant
Rafaela Aponte-Diamant with a net worth of $33.1 billion is ranked the seventh richest woman on the planet earth. At age 79, she is getting her source of wealth from shipping. She has dual citizenship from Switzerland and Italy. Aponte-Diamant and her husband Gianluigi Aponte, are co-founders of MSC, with each owning a 50% stake in the company they started in 1970. MSC is the world’s largest shipping line. She is responsible for decorating the ships for the company’s MSC Cruises. She and her husband entered the industry using a $200,000 loan to buy a ship.
8. Miriam Adelson
Miriam Adelson is the eighth richest woman in the world with a net worth of $32 billion. The 78-year-old American makes her wealth from Casinos. Adelson and her family own more than half of Las Vegas Sands, one of the world’s largest casino operators. She inherited the stake after her husband, longtime Republican Party kingmaker Sheldon Adelson died in 2021. Being a medical doctor, she has given over $1 billion over her lifetime to fund medical research and drug discovery, according to Forbes estimates.
9. Gina Rinehart
Gina Rinehart is an Australian woman billionaire and the ninth richest female at the age of 70. Rinehart’s net worth is $30.8 billion, with the fortune coming from mining. The Australian magnate chairs mining and agriculture company Hancock Prospecting Group. She inherited the business from her father Lang Hancock (d. 1992). Her fortune is up 14% since March 2023, and she remains the wealthiest person in Australia.
10. Abigail Johnson
Abigail Johnson is the 10th richest woman according to Forbes. Johnson’s net worth is $29 billion. She is a 62-year-old American with the source of her wealth coming from Fidelity Investments. As the chief of mutual fund giant Fidelity, her fortune rebounded from 11th place to rejoin the top 10 richest women this year. Johnson has been CEO of Fidelity Investments since 2014 after taking over for her father, Edward “Ned” Johnson III who died in 2022. She owns an estimated 28.5% stake in the firm, which has $4.9 trillion in managed assets and was founded by her grandfather in 1946.
