Women are still fighting for space at the top of the global wealth ladder.
According to Forbes’ latest list, only 13.4% of the world’s 3,028 billionaires are women, that is approximately 406 of them.
That’s a slight jump from last year’s 13.3%, showing that while progress is being made, it’s painfully slow.
Walmart heiress takes the lead
She reclaimed the title from Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, the L’Oréal heiress, now in second place with $81.6 billion, after a dip in the company’s stock.
The battle between Walton and Bettencourt Meyers has dominated the top spot for years.
Bettencourt Meyers made history last June as the first woman to cross the $100 billion mark, but by September, a surge in Walmart shares and a slump in L’Oréal’s value flipped the ranking.
Most women’s wealth is inherited
Nine of the ten richest women inherited their wealth, including Julia Koch and Jacqueline Mars, who hold third and fourth place, respectively.
But Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, a self-made billionaire from Switzerland, breaks that trend.
As cofounder of Mediterranean Shipping Company, she holds a net worth of $37.7 billion, ranking fifth among all women.
Self-made women billionares
Only 113 women on the list are self-made, among them Oprah Winfrey and Taylor Swift.
Whose wealth jumped 45% this year, fueled by the record-breaking Eras Tour, which grossed an estimated $2 billion.
Two women—Gina Rinehart and MacKenzie Scott—fell out of the top 10, with Scott continuing her mission of giving away much of her wealth.
Taking their place are Melinda French Gates, thanks to a reevaluated divorce settlement from Bill Gates.
New faces on the billionaire list also include Martine Rothblatt, who built United Therapeutics into a $2.9 billion company, and Tatiana Volodina, who owns Russia’s $1 billion cosmetics giant L’Etoile.
Top 10 Richest Women in the World – 2025
1. Alice Walton – $101B, Walmart
2. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers – $81.6B, L’Oréal
3. Julia Koch & family – $74.2B, Koch Industries
4. Jacqueline Mars – $42.6B, Mars Inc.
5. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant – $37.7B, Shipping (self-made)
6. Savitri Jindal & family – $35.5B, Steel
7. Abigail Johnson – $32.7B, Fidelity
8. Miriam Adelson & family – $32.1B, Casinos
9. Marilyn Simons & family – $31B, Hedge Funds
10. Melinda French Gates – $30.4B, Microsoft & Investments
While the list shows signs of change, it’s clear: the billionaire boys’ club still dominates.
However, a handful of powerful, driven women are rewriting the story.
