The richest girls on the earth have extra in widespread than luxurious life — they’re holding stakes within the world financial system.
The world’s wealthiest girls didn’t simply sit on fortunes. They inherited empires, scaled them, pivoted to new markets and, in some instances, rewrote the rulebook in industries dominated by males. A few of them run companies behind the scenes whereas others apply philanthropy within the arts, sciences and tech.
Most of those girls maintain vital stakes in non-public or publicly traded firms. Their wealth is tied to varied sectors and industries, from client items to chemical compounds to casinos. All the ladies on this checklist inherited their wealth, although every is now a billionaire in her personal proper.
Listed below are the world’s 10 richest girls and a few of their key investments, in keeping with the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, as of April 30, 2025.
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The world’s 10 richest girls
1. Alice Walton: $113 billion
The one daughter of Walmart (WMT) founder Sam Walton, Alice Walton inherited her share of the household’s retail fortune. She’s watched it balloon as the corporate expanded over time and Walmart’s inventory value climbed.
Although she’s by no means labored for Walmart in an government position, she co-manages one of many household’s two organizations — Walton Enterprises.
Outdoors of retail, Walton is a patron of the humanities and well being care entry in rural communities. That stated, she nonetheless holds a major stake in Walmart — and given the inventory’s constant efficiency, that’s not prone to change anytime quickly.
2. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers: $89.7 billion
Bettencourt Meyers is the heiress to the L’Oréal fortune. Her grandfather began the cosmetics big in 1909, and Bettencourt Meyers inherited it after the demise of her mom, Liliane Bettencourt, as soon as the world’s richest lady.
Bettencourt Meyers sits on L’Oréal’s board of administrators and is the most important shareholder in L’Oréal, with an nearly 35 p.c stake as of November 2024.
3. Julia Flesher Koch and household: $72.4 billion
Julia Koch grew to become one of many wealthiest girls on the planet after the demise of her husband, David Koch, in 2019. Alongside her three kids, she inherited a 42 p.c stake in Koch Industries.
With 125,000 staff and estimated annual income topping $125 billion, Koch Industries is the second-largest privately held firm in America, in keeping with Forbes, with a hand in every thing from oil refining and chemical manufacturing to paper merchandise.
4. Jacqueline Badger Mars: $43.6 billion
Jacqueline Mars is the matriarch of sweet. She’s one-third proprietor of Mars Inc., the corporate behind M&M’s, Snickers, Skittles and a number of different meals manufacturers. Mars Inc. is the fourth-largest privately held firm within the U.S., and its valuation retains rising because it expands into health-conscious snacks and pet care.
Mars can also be recognized for her philanthropy in animal welfare, environmental conservation and the humanities.
5. Abigail Johnson: $37.3 billion
Abigail Johnson is without doubt one of the few on this checklist who’s actively working the empire she inherited. As CEO and president of Constancy Investments, she controls one of many largest asset managers on the earth. She took over as CEO from her father, Ned Johnson, in 2014 and has since modernized the agency with a give attention to digital instruments and new merchandise aimed toward millennial and Gen Z buyers.
Her wealth stems instantly from her possession stake in Constancy, a agency that manages trillions in property and is vital to how on a regular basis People construct retirement wealth.
6. MacKenzie Scott: $35.5 billion
MacKenzie Scott is without doubt one of the uncommon billionaires actively attempting to make herself much less wealthy by donating to causes she believes in. She achieved her wealth by a really public divorce from Amazon (AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos. When the divorce was finalized in 2019, Scott obtained Amazon shares valued at about $36 billion on the time.
As of March 2024, she’d given away greater than $17 billion to over 2,300 nonprofits by her basis. She’s supported causes together with racial equality, gender equality, local weather change and schooling. Her remaining internet price continues to be large, largely held in Amazon inventory, however shrinking by design.
7. Savitri Jindal: $31.7 billion
Savitri Jindal’s wealth flows from metal. She’s the matriarch of the Jindal Group, a large Indian conglomerate with pursuits in metal, energy, infrastructure and cement. After the demise of her husband, O.P. Jindal, she took over the household enterprise and watched it flourish underneath the management of her sons, who run completely different arms of the corporate.
8. Miriam Adelson: $31.3 billion
Miriam Adelson’s wealth comes from casinos — particularly, Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS), the gaming empire constructed by her late husband, Sheldon Adelson. After his demise in 2021, she inherited the controlling stake within the firm, which owns casinos and resorts in Macau and Singapore.
In 2023, she purchased a majority stake within the Dallas Mavericks for $2 billion. Her son-in-law, Patrick Dumont, is president and COO of Las Vegas Sands Corp., which has reportedly been aggressively lobbying to develop legalized playing into Texas.
9. Iris Fontbona and household: $30.9 billion
Chile’s richest lady, Iris Fontbona inherited her fortune after the demise of her husband, Andrónico Luksic, who constructed one in every of Latin America’s largest mining and beverage empires. She now controls Antofagasta PLC, a publicly traded copper mining firm, together with stakes in banks, breweries and delivery.
10. Susanne Klatten: $25.5 billion
Susanne Klatten turned inherited wealth right into a diversified empire. She owns vital stakes in BMW (through her late father’s legacy) and the pharmaceutical firm Altana, which she helped flip right into a powerhouse. Klatten studied economics and actively labored to develop her holdings.
Klatten has additionally expanded into clear vitality and biotech, utilizing her non-public funding agency to again early stage startups in Europe.
How one can construct your personal fortune
Changing into a billionaire is uncommon, however constructing lasting wealth is effectively inside attain for most individuals.
Practically the entire girls on this checklist have one key factor in widespread: They personal shares — and numerous them. Their fortunes are tied to main firms that dominate their industries, from retail and cosmetics to vitality and finance.
Additionally they gained management of high-value companies. Whereas some have performed energetic roles in rising these firms, the majority of their internet price comes from proudly owning massive stakes in them. It’s fairness — not wage — that drives their wealth.
Whilst you could not have the ability to replicate billionaire-level possession, you possibly can nonetheless construct your personal fortune by investing in the identical markets. One of many easiest methods to start out is by investing in index funds. These funds offer you publicity to a broad slice of the inventory market in a single buy, providing prompt diversification and traditionally delivering common annual returns round 10 p.c. It’s little marvel they’re close to the highest of the checklist of Bankrate’s finest investments for freshmen.
Newbie-friendly brokerages additionally make getting began straightforward. You don’t want some huge cash to open an account — many platforms now allow you to get began with $10 or much less and supply low or no charges.
However you’ll want time to construct actual wealth. Bear in mind, most of the girls on this checklist inherited their wealth by household empires, which frequently took many years to construct. It’s possible you’ll not have many years to construct a household empire, however if you wish to construct actual generational wealth, you’ll want to start out early — or assist your children get a head begin on investing.
For those who’re uncertain the place to start out or how you can allocate your investments, working with a monetary advisor could be extremely useful. These monetary professionals can information you in constructing a method based mostly in your objectives, timeline and threat tolerance.
Backside line
The ladies on this checklist present that monetary energy is achievable. Whether or not you’re beginning with just a few hundred {dollars} or a windfall, the idea stays the identical: Make investments often, keep knowledgeable and play an energetic position in your monetary future.
Editorial Disclaimer: All buyers are suggested to conduct their very own impartial analysis into funding methods earlier than investing choice. As well as, buyers are suggested that previous funding product efficiency isn’t any assure of future value appreciation.
