Women continue to make incremental progress in global wealth representation, with 13.4% of 2025’s 3,028 billionaires being female—a slight rise from 13.3% in 2024. , the Walmart heiress, now leads as the world’s richest woman with a $101 billion fortune, surpassing L’Oréal heiress Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, whose net worth fell to $81.6 billion due to declining cosmetics sales in China.
## Top 10 Richest Women in 2025
1. ($101B): Daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, her wealth surged 40% alongside Walmart’s stock rise. She focuses on art philanthropy, including Arkansas’ Crystal Bridges Museum.
2. ($81.6B): L’Oréal heir and former richest woman, she retired from the board in 2024 after shares dipped 20%.
3. ($74.2B): Inherited a 42% stake in Koch Industries after her husband David’s 2019 death.
4. ($42.6B): Co-owner of Mars Inc., makers of M&Ms and Pedigree pet food.
5. ($37.7B): Richest self-made woman for the third year, co-founded shipping giant MSC.
6. ($35.5B): Indian steel magnate leading Jindal Group since her husband’s 2005 death.
7. ($32.7B): CEO of Fidelity Investments, maintaining her finance empire.
8. ($32.1B): Inherited casino fortunes from late husband Sheldon Adelson.
9. ($31B): Widow of hedge fund legend Jim Simons, now leads their science philanthropy foundation.
10. ($30.4B): Divorce settlement reevaluation boosted her net worth; she now focuses on gender equity through Pivotal Ventures.
– : ~75% of women billionaires inherited wealth, compared to 55% in 2023.
– : Only 113 self-made women made the list, led by Aponte-Diamant and newcomer Barbara Banke (Kendall-Jackson wines).
– : America hosts 902 billionaires, including 6 of the top 10 richest women.
Walton’s ascent highlights the enduring power of retail giants over luxury sectors, while Bettencourt Meyers’ decline underscores market volatility in cosmetics. Despite gradual gains, systemic barriers and wealth concentration in inherited fortunes persist, with tech and industrial sectors still largely male-dominated.
