KiloFrançoise Bettencourt Meyers is the richest woman in the world in 2026, with a net worth of about $98 billion. She's the granddaughter of the man who founded L'Oréal, the French cosmetics company, and she controls roughly a third of its stock through a family holding. She has held the title of world's wealthiest woman since 2017, when she inherited the fortune after her mother Liliane Bettencourt died. The richest women sit far below the richest men. Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, is worth about $840 billion, more than eight times Bettencourt Meyers. Track the gap on the trillionaire tracker.
The world's richest women
| # | Name | Net worth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Françoise Bettencourt Meyers | $98B |
| 2 | Alice Walton | $94B |
| 3 | Julia Koch | $74B |
| 4 | Jacqueline Mars | $48B |
| 5 | MacKenzie Scott | $45B |
| 6 | Miriam Adelson | $32B |
| 7 | Gina Rinehart | $30B |
| 8 | Susanne Klatten | $28B |
Figures are estimates and move with the markets. Bettencourt Meyers' fortune tracks L'Oréal stock. Alice Walton's comes from Walmart, the company her father Sam Walton built, and Julia Koch's from her late husband's stake in Koch Industries. Jacqueline Mars owns a third of the Mars candy and pet-food empire. MacKenzie Scott kept a stake in Amazon after her divorce from Jeff Bezos and has given billions away since. See where the men rank on the richest person list.
Why no woman is near $1 trillion
The richest women are worth roughly $80 to $100 billion. That's a large fortune, but it's nowhere near the trillion-dollar mark. Bettencourt Meyers at $98 billion would have to grow her fortune more than ten times over to reach $1 trillion. The gap comes down to how the biggest fortunes are made. The men at the very top, like Musk, Larry Page and Jeff Bezos, founded the tech companies they own and hold huge concentrated stakes that the AI boom has pushed to extreme values. The richest women mostly inherited their wealth or hold it through family trusts, and those holdings are spread across heirs. No woman owns a single stake the size of Musk's piece of Tesla or SpaceX. See Elon Musk's net worth for how a founder's stake compounds.
How the richest women built their fortunes
Most of the women near the top inherited a stake in a company a father, husband or grandfather built. Bettencourt Meyers inherited L'Oréal, Alice Walton inherited Walmart, Jacqueline Mars inherited Mars. Julia Koch inherited her stake when her husband David Koch died in 2019. There are exceptions. MacKenzie Scott's wealth came from the Amazon shares she received in her 2019 divorce, and Gina Rinehart turned her father's debt-laden mining company in Australia into one of the country's largest fortunes. Self-made tech founders, the path that produced Musk and the rest of the top of the richest person list, are still rare among the wealthiest women.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the richest woman in the world?
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, the L'Oréal heiress, with a net worth of about $98 billion in 2026. She has held the title since 2017.
How did Françoise Bettencourt Meyers make her money?
She inherited it. She's the granddaughter of L'Oréal's founder and controls about a third of the company's stock through a family holding. She took the title after her mother Liliane Bettencourt died in 2017.
Is the richest woman close to becoming a trillionaire?
No. At about $98 billion, Bettencourt Meyers would need to grow her fortune more than ten times over to reach $1 trillion. No woman is anywhere near that mark.
Who are the other richest women in the world?
After Bettencourt Meyers come Alice Walton of Walmart, Julia Koch of Koch Industries, Jacqueline Mars of Mars, and MacKenzie Scott, who is worth about $45 billion.
How does the richest woman compare to the richest man?
Elon Musk, the richest person, is worth about $840 billion, more than eight times Bettencourt Meyers' $98 billion. The richest women sit far below the richest men.