Women occupy a small but growing slice of Forbes’ World Billionaires list. This year, 369 out of 2,781 billionaires or 13.3% are women, 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.
Nine of the 10 richest women inherited their fortunes, either from fathers, husbands or in one case, mother. MacKenzie Scott is the only one in the top 10 to get her fortune via divorce.
Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, cofounder of one of the world’s largest shipping companies, is the richest self-made woman on Forbes’ list
Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, cofounder of one of the world’s largest shipping companies, is once again the richest self-made woman on Forbes’ list. She’s also the seventh richest woman on the list and the only one of the 10 ten richest women who is self-made.
This year, 100 women on the list are self-made, by which we mean they founded or cofounded a company or built their fortune themselves, as opposed to inheriting it. Another 200 women inherited their fortunes, while 69 women are working to expand the successful businesses they inherited.
This year, 100 women on the list are self-made, by which we mean they founded or cofounded a company or built their fortune themselves, as opposed to inheriting it
There are 46 new women who earned a spot on the 2024 list, some on account of stock rallies and others through inheritance.
The most notable newcomer of all is pop star Taylor Swift, whose Eras Tour earned her an estimated $190 million after tax, helping make her the first billionaire musician bankrolled solely by performances, recordings and a lucrative half-billion dollar music catalog. She debuted as a billionaire in October.
Here are the top 10 richest women in the world.
10. Abigail Johnson
Net Worth: $29 Billion | Age: 62 | Source of Wealth: Fidelity Investments | Citizenship: U.S.
Johnson has been CEO of Fidelity Investments since 2014 after taking over from her father, Edward ‘Ned’ Johnson III. 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.
The most notable newcomer of all is pop star Taylor Swift, the first billionaire musician bankrolled solely by performances, recordings and a lucrative half-billion dollar music catalog
9. Gina Rinehart
Net Worth: $30.8 Billion | Age: 70 | Source of Wealth: Mining | Citizenship: Australia
The Australian magnate chairs mining and agriculture company Hancock Prospecting Group. She inherited the business from her father Lang Hancock. Her fortune is up 14% since March 2023, and she remains the wealthiest person in Australia.
8. Miriam Adelson & family
Net Worth: $32 Billion | Age: 78 | Source of Wealth: Casinos | Citizenship: U.S.
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.A physician, she has given over $1 billion over her lifetime to fund medical research and drug discovery, according to Forbes estimates.
7. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant
Net Worth: $33.1 Billion | Age: 79 | Source of Wealth: Shipping | Citizenship: Switzerland and Italy
Aponte-Diamant and her husband Gianluigi Aponte, cofounders of MSC, each own a 50% stake in the company they started in 1970, which has since become 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.
6. Savitri Jindal & family
Net worth: $33.5 Billion | Age: 74 | Source of Wealth: Steel | Citizenship: India
The chair of Jindal Group and widow of the founder, Om Prakash Jindal, is the richest woman in India. 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; rising share prices lifted her fortune.
5. MacKenzie Scott
Net Worth: $35.6 Billion | Age: 53 | Source of Wealth: Amazon | Citizenship: U.S.
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 climbed 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.
4. Jacqueline Mars
Net Worth: $38.5 Billion | Age: 84 | Source of Wealth: Candy, pet food | Citizenship: U.S.
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.
3. Julia Koch & family
Net Worth: $64.3 Billion | Age: 61 | Source of Wealth: Koch Industries | Citizenship: U.S.
The widow of David Koch slipped from second to third richest woman this year. She and her three children inherited a 42% stake of 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.
2. Alice Walton
Net Worth: $72.3 Billion | Age: 74 | Source of Wealth: Walmart | Citizenship: U.S.
The richest woman in America is $15.6 billion wealthier this year, due to a 34% jump in Walmart’s share price in the last 12 months. The heiress is the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. Unlike her brothers, she never sat on the retailer’s board; instead she 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.
1. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers & family
Net Worth: $99.5 Billion | Age: 70 | Source of Wealth: L’Oréal | Citizenship: France
The granddaughter of the L’Oréal founder and heir to the family fortune 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, first appeared on Forbes’ billionaires list in 2018 worth $42.2 billion.
Source: Forbes
