The richest women in the world in 2025, according to Forbes

Bettencourt Meyers and Walton have competed for first place among women during the last five years. In June, Bettencourt Meyers made history being the first woman to reach an estimated net worth of 100 billion dollars. At the beginning of September, Walton had recovered first place amid the rise in Walmart’s actions and the fall of L’Oréal.

Julia Koch, widow of the industrialist David Koch (who died in 2019), and Jacqueline Mars, heiress of the fortune of the Mars confectionery, are still the third and fourth richest woman.

In total, nine of the ten richest women on the list inherited their fortune. The richest woman who made herself is Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, Swiss co-founder of the world’s largest shipping company, whose net assets is 37.7 billion dollars. It is located as the fifth richest woman of all and one of the 113 women who made themselves in the list. Others include Oprah Winfrey and Taylor Swift, whose fortune increased 45% during the last year, since its tour were raised approximately 2,000 million dollars, making it the tour with the highest income of all time.

Two women lost their position among the top ten: the Australian Minera Minera Gina Rinehart, whose net estate fell almost 5% due to the weakness of the prices of iron mineral, and Mackenzie Scott, ex -wife of Jeff Bezos, who continues to make great donations to philanthropic causes. They were replaced by Melinda French Gates, ex -wife of Bill Gates, and the newcomer Marilyn Simons, a widow of the legend of the coverage funds Jim Simons, who died in May 2024.

Other newcomers include the multimillionaire pharmaceuticals Martine Rothblatt, which founded United Therapeutics, with revenues of 2.9 billion dollars, and Tatiana Volodina, owner of L’toile, a Russian retail chain of cosmetics with revenue of 1,000 million dollars.

List: the 10 richest women in the world 2025

1. Alice Walton

Fortuna: USD 101,000 million

With a net worth of USD 101,000 million, Alice Walton remains the richest woman in the world in 2025. The only daughter of Walmart’s founder, Sam Walton, saw her fortune grow thanks to the increase in the price of the actions of the retail chain.

Unlike his brothers, Walton was never part of the Walmart Board of Directors and dedicated himself to artistic management. His most outstanding contribution was the creation of the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art in his hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas, where pieces of iconic artists such as Andy Warhol and Norman Rockwell are exhibited.

2. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers

Fortuna: USD 81.6 billion

Françoise Bettencourt Meyers occupies second place with USD 81,600 million. Although in 2024, the heiress of L’Oréal was the richest woman in the world, in 2025 Alice Walton stayed with first place.

Bettencourt Meyers’ fortune comes from his participation in the cosmetics giant, a company founded by his grandfather, Eugène Schueller. Despite sales challenges, especially in key markets such as China, French continues to be a central figure in the global beauty industry.

3. Julia Koch

Fortuna: USD 74.2 billion

Julia Koch, David Koch’s widow, occupies third place with USD 74.2 billion. After the death of her husband in 2019, she and her three children inherited 42% of Koch Industries, an industrial conglomerate that covers sectors as diverse as the refining of oil, energy and agriculture.

Despite the wide range of industries in which it operates, Koch Industries remains one of the largest private conglomerates in the United States.

Julia is also committed to philanthropy, being a trustee of important cultural institutions such as the Metropolitan Art Museum.

4. Jacqueline Mars

Fortuna: USD 42.6 billion

In fourth place, is Jacqueline Mars, with a heritage of USD 42.6 billion. She and her family control Mars Inc., the giant of sweets and pet food, known for iconic brands such as M&M, snickers and pedigree.

Jacqueline inherited the family legacy of the company that was founded in 1911 by his grandfather, Frank C. Mars, who began selling sweets in his kitchen. Mars Inc. remains a reference in the food industry, and this fortune grows over time.

5. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant

Fortuna: USD 37.7 billion

Rafaela Aponte-Diamant is co-founder of the world’s largest shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). With a net worth of USD 37.7 billion, it occupies the fifth place.

Together with her husband Gianluigi Aponte, she founded MSC in 1970, using an initial loan of USD 200,000 to buy her first ship. Currently, it is the largest shipping line on the planet, with a fleet of 900 ships that operate throughout the world.

Aponte-Diamant built his own wealth and is among the 113 women who managed to accumulate their fortunes independently.