The 10 richest women in the world of 2023, revealed: from L’Oréal’s Françoise Bettencourt Meyers and BMW billionaire heiress Susanne Klatten, to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ ex MacKenzie Scott
While many of these ladies have accumulated their fortunes through inheritances, 96 of them this year are self-made billionaires, with big-namers including Rihanna (US$1.4 billion) and Kim Kardashian (US$1.2 billion), much thanks to Fenty and Skims, respectively.
Let’s take a closer look at the richest women in 2023, per Forbes’ calculations.
10. Iris Fontbona – US$23 billion
Chilean native Iris Fontbona and her family inherited her late husband Andrónico Luksic’s businesses upon his death in 2005. The 81-year-old and her three kids run Antofagasta PLC, a company that trades on the London Stock Exchange and has dealings in copper mines in Chile. They also keep a majority stake in a manufacturing conglomerate, Quiñenco.
9. MacKenzie Scott – US$24 billion
8. Gina Rinehart – US$27 billion
Rinehart may be a small fish compared to the richest people in the world, but she ranks No 1 in her home country of Australia. The iron-ore heiress is the daughter of Lang Hancock, the late founder of Hancock Prospecting. According to Forbes, the 69-year-old mining magnate rebuilt the company and invested in rare earth materials and gas.
7. Susanne Klatten – US$27.4 billion
BMW billionaire heiress Susanne Klatten stands strong on this list with her US$27.4 billion valuation. The 60-year-old currently owns 19 per cent of the German carmaker, is the sole owner and deputy chair of chemicals company Altana, and holds stakes in multiple businesses.
6. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant – US$31 billion
Rafaela Aponte-Diamant and her husband Gianluigi embarked on the shipping industry together in the 70s after initially meeting in Capri for the first time. Today they own a 50 per cent stake in the world’s biggest shipping line, MSC. The 78-year-old Swiss billionaire helps with decorating ships for MSC Cruises, while her hubby is MSC’s executive chairman. Couple goals?
5. Miriam Adelson – US$35 billion
4. Jacqueline Mars – US$38 billion
American heiress and investor Jacqueline Mars lives the sweet life thanks to her grandfather, who founded the world’s largest candymaker, Mars. The conglomerate owns brands including M&Ms, Skittles, Snickers and Maltesers. Mars, now 83, owns about one third of the giant and served on its board until 2016, per Forbes.
3. Alice Walton – US$57 billion
Alice Walton, the only daughter of Walmart’s founder Sam Walton, ranks as the third richest woman in the world. Unlike her siblings Rob and Jim who joined the family business, however, Alice has instead focused her efforts and career on art curating. The 73-year-old opened the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in 2011, which features artworks from artists like Andy Warhol and Mark Rothko.
2. Julia Koch – US$59 billion
1. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers – US$80.5 billion
The richest woman in the world this year hails from France, just like the richest man, Bernard Arnault. With over US$80 billion in the bank, Bettencourt Meyers’ wealth is derived from her and her family’s 33 per cent stake in L’Oréal. The 69-year-old currently serves as the chairwoman of its holding company. Her mother Liliane Bettencourt previously held the title of world’s richest woman, before her death in 2017, states the same source.
- Forbes’ ‘Richest People in the World’ list puts L’Oréal’s Françoise Bettencourt Meyers as the wealthiest woman – though her net worth is still a far cry from the fortunes of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos
- Miriam Adelson inherited her late husband’s company, which owns The Venetian Macau and Marina Bay Sands Singapore, while Jacqueline Mars’ grandfather’s business is behind M&Ms, Skittles and Snickers