The Enormous Wealth of the World’s Richest Woman

Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, the heiress of L’Oreal, is currently the richest woman in the world with a fortune worth tens of billions of dollars. At the end of 2023, she became the first woman to reach a $100 billion net worth. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers’ wealth reached this record milestone at the end of 2023, though her fortune has since dropped to approximately $90 billion.

In 2023, Bettencourt Meyers’ wealth rose by $28.6 billion due to a 35% increase in L’Oreal’s stock. This reflects the strong purchasing power of global consumers for luxury products even after the pandemic.

Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, aged 70, is the only child of Liliane Bettencourt and the granddaughter of Eugene Schueller, the founder of L’Oreal Group. She is currently the chairwoman of the family’s investment company, Tethys, and serves as Vice President of L’Oreal Group. She inherited her wealth from her mother after Liliane Bettencourt passed away in 2017.

Her two sons, Jean-Victor Meyers and Nicolas Meyers, also serve on the board, while her husband, Jean-Pierre Meyers, is the CEO of Tethys. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers lives in a modest two-story house compared to her family’s grand estate in the heart of Saint James, Paris.

She told Le Monde, “I understand I have privileges, but I don’t live in a mansion, I don’t collect much art, and I don’t wear jewelry.”

Francoise Bettencourt Meyers often appears with a discreet style, wearing light makeup and dark-colored clothing. She rarely attends social events and only participates in gatherings related to company interests.

In 2022, L’Oreal reported that Bettencourt Meyers and her family held over 34% of the company’s shares, enabling her to maintain her position as the richest woman in the world for many years. In early 2023, L’Oreal acquired the Australian brand Aesop for $2.5 billion, marking the company’s largest M&A deal to date.

L’Oreal Group is the largest cosmetics empire in the world, owning prestigious brands like Lancome and Maybelline, with revenues in 2022 reaching over 38 billion euros ($42 billion).