International Women's Day 2022: Who Is Richest Woman In The World?

As the world honors the social, political and economic wins of women across the globe on International Women's Day 2022, let's take a look at the career and life of the richest woman in the world – L’Oreal heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers.

With an estimated net worth of $75 billion, Bettencourt Meyers, 68, ranks 12th on Forbes’ billionaires list.

Bettencourt Meyers's mother Liliane Bettencourt inherited the vast L'Oreal fortune from her father, company founder Eugène Schueller, in 1957.

Following Liliane’s passing at 94 years old in September 2017, Bettencourt Meyers became France's reigning L'Oreal heiress and has since held the title of the world’s richest woman.

Bettencourt Meyers currently sits as the vice-chairwoman of the board of directors, according to L'Oreal's website. She and her family own around 33% of L'Oreal stock, Forbes reported.

Aside from being a board member, Bettencourt Meyers also serves as the president of her family’s foundation, the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, which encourages French progress in the sciences and arts. She is also a writer, penning books on Greek mythology and Jewish-Christian relations.

The second-richest woman in the world today is 72-year-old Walmart heiress Alice Walton. With a net worth of $65.1 billion, she ranks 18th on Forbes' billionaires list.

The daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, Alice is an art collector. In 2011, she opened a $50 million museum called Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, to house her $500 million private art collection.

Walton also has her own charitable organization, the Alice L. Walton Foundation, which donates to causes including the arts, education and health, according to its website.

Trailing behind the two heiresses is Julia Koch, wife of late billionaire industrialist David Koch, who died in 2019 as the seventh richest person in America.

After her husband’s death, Koch became one of the richest women in the world as she and her three children inherited a 42% stake in Koch Industries from her husband. Today, Koch's net worth stands at $53 billion, according to Forbes.