World's Richest Women In 2013
More women have
joined the ranks of the world's wealthiest, but as a group females still
hold a small sliver of total 10-figure fortunes. Of the 1,426 people on
the new 2013 Forbes list of the World's Billionaires, just 138 are
women. That's up from 104 women last year.
Liliane Bettencourt
Net worth: $30 billion
Country: France
Source of wealth: L'Oreal
At age 90, Liliane Bettencourt is the world's richest woman, and enters
the top ten list of the world's wealthiest people for the first time
since 1999. She and her family own over 30% of L'Oreal, which her father
founded.
Christy Walton
Net worth: $28.2 billion
Country: U.S.
Source of wealth: Wal-Mart
Christy Walton's net worth reached new highs as Wal-Mart stock jumped in
2012. She remains the richest woman in the United States. Christy
inherited her wealth when husband John Walton, a former Green Beret and
Vietnam war medic, died in an airplane crash in 2005.
Alice Walton
Net worth: $26.3 billion
Country: U.S.
Source of wealth: Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton gave $1.7 million to a Washington D.C.
charter schools initiative alongside fellow billionaires Bill Gates,
Paul Allen and Steve Ballmer. The Walton family's most generous
philanthropist, her ambitious Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in
Bentonville, Ark., opened in 2011 featuring works donated from her
personal collection--which is valued in the hundreds of millions of
dollars.
Iris Fontbona
Net worth: $17.4 billion
Country: Chile
Source of wealth: Mining
Billionaire Andronico Luksic died of cancer in 2005, leaving his
business empire in the care of his wife, Iris Fontbona, and his three
sons: Jean-Paul, Andronico, and Guillermo Luksic. The Luksic family
controls Antofagasta, one of the world's largest copper miners.
Georgina Rinehart
Net worth: $17 billion
Country: Australia
Source of wealth: Mining
Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart is still the richest woman in
the Asia-Pacific region, even though falling iron ore prices have shaved
$1 billion off her net worth.
Jacqueline Mars
Net worth: $17 billion
Country: U.S.
Source: Mars candy
Jacqueline Mars and her two brothers, John and Forrest Jr, are the third
generation to own Mars, Inc. The siblings inherited the company in 1999
when their father died. Mars is the largest candy company in the world,
with an estimated $33 billion in sales, thanks in part to its $23
billion acquisition of gum maker Wrigley's in 2008.
Susanne Klatten
Net worth: $14.3 billion
Country: Germany
Source of wealth: BMW
Susanne Klatten, Germany's richest woman, inherited a 12.6% stake in
automaker BMW from her late father Herbert Quandt, who rescued the
company from bankruptcy decades ago. Susanne, her brother Stefan Quandt
and her mother Johanna Quandt together own nearly 50% of BMW, which has
continued to grow despite weakness in Europe thanks to sales in the U.S.
and China.
Abigail Johnson
Net worth: $12.7 billion
Country: U.S.
Source of wealth: Money management
Abigail Johnson was named president of Fidelity Financial Services,
which oversees the asset management, brokerage and retirement and
benefits services units of Fidelity Investments in August 2012. This
makes Abby one of the most powerful women in finance and the leading
candidate to take over the CEO seat when her father, Edward "Ned"
Johnson, 82, steps down.
Miuccia Prada
Net worth: $12.4 billion
Country: Italy
Source of wealth: Prada
Fashion legend Miuccia Prada runs the luxury goods and clothing company
Prada with her husband Patrizio Bertelli. The granddaughter of the
company's founder is the lead designer, while Bertelli handles the
business side as CEO. The design house is expanding: 2012 saw new store
openings in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait, and they're reportedly seeking a
partner to enter India.
Anne Cox Chambers
Net worth: $12 billion
Country: U.S.
Source of wealth: Media
Anne Cox Chambers is the surviving daughter of Cox Enterprises founder
James M. Cox (d. 1957). Today the company includes Cox Communications
(cable), Cox Media Group (newspapers, TV and ration stations), Manheim
(car auctions), and AutoTrader.com. In January the company cancelled
plans to take AutoTrader.com public, citing current market conditions.
At age 93 Chambers continues to sit on the board.
Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken
Net worth: $11 billion
Country: Netherlands
Source of wealth: Heineken
Beer heiress Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken is one of the richest women
in the world. A decade ago she inherited a 25% controlling stake in
Dutch brewer Heineken from her late father, Freddy Heineken. The company
has more than 170 premium brands in more than 65 countries.
