Forbes’s 2021 ranking of “The World’s Billionaires,” had a total of 239 women in the list, who were involved in various industries such as mining, real estate, finance, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and other businesses.
In this post, we take a look at the top 10 wealthiest females from the long list and where exactly their wealth comes from.
1. ALICE WALTON
COUNTRY: UNITED STATES
Alice, who is the daughter of Sam Walton, founder of the multinational retail corporation, Walmart, took over the title as the world’s richest woman in 2020, after losing the spot to Francoise Bettencourt Meyers in 2019.
Alice’s fortune is said to have seen a 23% increase since last year. Her net worth is estimated at $67.2 billion, and her source of wealth is from the family business.
2. FRANCOISE BETTENCOURT MEYERS
COUNTRY: FRANCE
Francoise is the heiress and granddaughter of Eugène Schueller Bettencourt Meyers, founder of cosmetics giant, L’Oréal, which is her main source of wealth. She owns 33% of the company.
Francoise’s fortune is said to have seen a decline of about $400 million since last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, as shares of their business are said to have dropped by 12%.
Francois Bettencourt’s net worth is said to currently stand at $48.9 billion.
3. JULIA KOCH
COUNTRY: UNITED STATES
Julia Koch joined the billionaire ranks this year after she inherited a 42% stake in the multinational corporation, Koch Industries, from her late husband, David Hamilton Koch, who died in 2019.
Julia’s net worth is $38.2 billion
Koch Industries is said to generate $115 billion in annual revenue in businesses ranging from oil and gas to agriculture, materials, and paper towels.
4. MACKENZIE BEZOS
COUNTRY: UNITED STATES
Mackenzie Bezos makes her debut on the list of wealthiest women in the world after finalizing her divorce with Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos in 2019.
She received a quarter of her ex-husband’s shares in the e-commerce giant from the divorce settlement.
Mackenzie now has a net worth of $36 billion.
5. JACQUELINE MARS
COUNTRY: UNITED STATES
Jacqueline’s wealth comes from inheriting one-third of the $35 billion candy company known for M&Ms and Milky Way bars – in sales.
Jacqueline worked for the company for nearly 20 years and served on the board until 2016. Her net worth is currently $24.7 billion.
6. YANG HUIYAN
COUNTRY: CHINA
The 38-year-old billionaire owns 57% shares in Hong Kong-listed real estate developer, Country Garden, which was founded by her father, Yang Guoqiang in 1992.
The company is in 2020, ranked 147th in Fortune Global 500 List. It has more than 200 high-end township developments throughout China, Malaysia, and Australia among its vast international project portfolio
Yang Huiyan sits on the board of the company. She has a net worth of $20.3 billion.
7. SUSANNE KLATTEN
COUNTRY: GERMANY
Susanne’s source of wealth is from being an heiress to the luxurious car brand, BMW.
As car sales slowed amid the pandemic, BMW’s stock fell 24% in the first half of March, which affected Susanne’s net worth, seeing it decline 20% in the past year.
Aside from BMW, Susanne is also the sole owner and deputy chairman of Altana, a pharmaceutical and speciality chemicals corporation.
Susanne’s net worth is currently $16.8 billion. She owns a 50.1% stake in Altana and a 12.5% stake in BMW.
8. LAURENE POWELL JOBS
COUNTRY: UNITED STATES
The widow of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Powell Jobs, makes the list of richest women in the world. She heads Emerson Collective, a hybrid philanthropic and investing limited liability company she founded in 2016.
Laurene Powell’s has a net worth of $16.4 billion, with her source of wealth coming from Apple and Disney.
Laurene’s fortune is said to be down $2.2 billion from last year, partly because of a decline in Disney’s share price, and also because Forbes got a better insight into her total assets.
9. ZHONG HUIJUAN
COUNTRY: CHINA
Zhong chairs Chinese drugmaker Hansoh Pharmaceutical, which is involved in research and development, production, and sale of pharmaceutical products.
Zhong is married to Sun Piaoyang, the billionaire chairman of Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine.
Zhong Huijuan’s net worth is $14.6 billion.
10. GINA RINEHART
COUNTRY: AUSTRALIA
Rinehart is the daughter of high profile iron-ore explorer Lang Hancock and Australia’s richest person.
Rinehart chairs her family’s mining and agriculture company, Hancock Prospecting Group, a position she’s held since 1992.
The company makes $6 billion in revenue as of 2018.
Rinehart is said to own 76.6% shares in the company. She has a net worth of $13.1 billion.
Rinehart’s fortune is said to have declined by $2 billion in the past year, as the coronavirus pandemic pushed down values in the iron ore industry.