Alice Walton, daughter of the founder of Walmart, and Francoise Bettencourts Meyers, granddaughter of the founder of L’Oreal, are among the world's 5 wealthiest women, according to Forbes’ real-time billionaire rankings.
Alice Walton ($101.2 billion)
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Alice Walton. Image provided by the Walton Family Museum. |
Alice, who turned 75, is the sole daughter of Walmart’s founder, Sam Walton. Unlike her brothers, she chose not to join Walmart’s board but rather dedicated herself to collecting art. In 2011, she established the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas, which showcases pieces by renowned artists such as Norman Rockwell and Andy Warhol.
Previously, she worked as a stock market analyst and established an investment banking firm. Additionally, she served as the vice chairwoman of Arvest Bank Group, which is owned by the Walton family.
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers ($81.2 billion)
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Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, heir to the L'Oréal cosmetics empire. Image courtesy of Reuters. |
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, who traces her lineage back to L'Oréal’s founder Eugène Schueller, possesses more than a third of the shares in this major publicly listed beauty corporation. At 71 years old, she has been part of L'Oréal's board since 1997 and currently leads the family’s holding firm, overseeing well-known labels like Maybelline and Yves Saint Laurent.
In addition to her business endeavors, Bettencourt Meyers is also an academic with a deep interest in religion and music.
Julia Koch ($74.2 billion)
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Julia Koch, who serves as the president of the David H. Koch Foundation. The photo is provided courtesy of the foundation. |
Julia Koch, aged 62, received a 42% share of Koch Industries following the death of her spouse, David Koch, in 2019. Earlier in her career, she was active in the fashion sector, where she collaborated with the esteemed designer Adolfo and catered to prominent figures such as former U.S. First Lady Nancy Reagan.
Last February, the Julia Koch Family Foundation provided a gift of $75 million to establish the Julia Koch Family Ambulatory Care Center. This foundation, set up by the family, has contributed significant amounts of money in U.S. currency to various educational institutions and healthcare facilities.
Jacqueline Mars ($44.2 billion)
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Jacqueline B. Mars received the R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award during the 2017 Gold Medal Club Reception alongside Tucker Johnson (on her left) and Brownlee O. Currey, Jr. (on her right). The photograph was provided by the USET Foundation. |
At 85 years old, Jacqueline Mars holds a one-third share in Mars Inc., the worldwide confectionery, food, and pet care corporation established by her grandfather. She was involved with the family enterprise for around twenty years before stepping down from the board in 2016.
Together with her brother, John Mars, she played a key role in expanding famous brands such as Snickers and M&M's. Mars is equally renowned for her charitable work, which focuses mainly on education and the safeguarding of culture.
Rafaela Aponte-Diamant ($38.9 billion)
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Rafaela Aponte-Diamant. Photograph by AFP |
Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, who is 79 years old, jointly owns MSC, the global leader in shipping, with her spouse, Gianluigi Aponte. Her expertise lies in designing the interiors of MSC's cruise vessels, and she also holds a position on the MSC Foundation board.
Launched by her family in 2018, the MSC Foundation focuses on worldwide environmental and humanitarian efforts, having contributed around $12.9 million to numerous charity programs up to 2022.