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Alice Walton, a beneficiary of the Walmart legacy, has surpassed Françoise Bettencourt Meyers to become the world’s wealthiest woman this year, as per reports by Bloomberg. Alice Walton, daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, now boasts a net worth exceeding $95 billion, primarily fueled by a 44% surge in Walmart’s stock prices that led to a record peak this year. This increase resulted in a $25 billion rise in her fortunes over the year.
On the other hand, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, the granddaughter of L’Oréal founder Eugène Schueller, has witnessed her wealth decrease by $9 billion to $91 billion. This decline is reflected in the 12% drop in L’Oréal shares since the start of the year. At the close of last year, Bettencourt Meyers’ net worth was at $100 billion compared to Walton’s $70 billion.
Currently, Bettencourt Meyers holds the 20th spot on Bloomberg’s rich list, trailing behind Alice Walton at 18th, who is just below her brothers, Jim and Rob Walton, with fortunes of $98 billion and $95.8 billion, respectively. The Walton siblings, who inherited a significant portion of Walmart shares from their father, have also accumulated over $15 billion from stock sales and dividends over time, estimates Bloomberg.
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers commands approximately 35% ownership of L’Oréal, the world’s leading cosmetics company, maintaining control over renowned brands like Garnier and Maybelline. This stake was inherited from her mother, Liliane Bettencourt, who passed away in 2017.
Looking ahead, if Alice Walton’s wealth keeps climbing and surpasses the $100 billion threshold, she will enter the exclusive circle of centibillionaires, a group that includes names like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett.
Alongside Walton and Bettencourt Meyers, other women such as Jacqueline Badger Mars and Abigail Johnson also rank near the top of Bloomberg’s list, thanks to legacies handed down by their grandfathers who founded Mars and Fidelity respectively.