Fez — The latest “World’s Billionaires” ranking published by “Forbes” shows that women remain a minority among the world’s richest individuals, accounting for 14% of the global list in 2026.
The ranking includes 481 female billionaires out of a total of 3,428 billionaires worldwide. Although the figure remains relatively small, it represents a slight increase from the previous year, when women made up 13.4% of the list.
According to the report, most of the world’s wealthiest women inherited their fortunes through family businesses, while a smaller number built their wealth independently across sectors such as logistics, technology, and finance.
At the top of the ranking stands Alice Walton, the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. Her fortune climbed sharply over the past year, reaching an estimated $134 billion and securing her position as the richest woman in the world for the second consecutive year.
French cosmetics heir Françoise Bettencourt Meyers follows in second place, while Julia Koch ranks third with wealth linked to Koch, Inc., one of the largest private companies in the United States.
Top 10 richest women in the world in 2026
According to “Forbes”, the ten richest women in the world are:
- Alice Walton — $134 billion
Age: 76
Source of wealth: Walmart
Citizenship: United States
Walton is the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton and is known for her major philanthropic investments in arts and education, including the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
- Françoise Bettencourt Meyers & family — $100 billion
Age: 72
Source of wealth: L’Oréal
Citizenship: France
Bettencourt Meyers inherited her fortune through the L’Oréal cosmetics empire founded by her grandfather Eugène Schueller and previously served as vice-chair of the company.
- Julia Koch & family — $81.2 billion
Age: 63
Source of wealth: Koch, Inc.
Citizenship: United States
Koch inherited her wealth after the death of her husband David Koch in 2019 and holds a major stake in Koch, Inc., a conglomerate active in energy, chemicals, and manufacturing.
- Iris Fontbona & family — $52.6 billion
Age: 83
Source of wealth: Mining
Citizenship: Chile
Fontbona controls the Luksic Group and inherited her fortune after the death of her husband Andrónico Luksic, whose business empire spans mining, beverages, and banking.
- Jacqueline Mars — $49.1 billion
Age: 86
Source of wealth: Candy
Citizenship: United States
Mars is an heir to the Mars family business, one of the world’s largest confectionery and pet care companies, known for brands such as M&M’s and Snickers.
- Rafaela Aponte-Diamant — $44.5 billion
Age: 80
Source of wealth: Shipping
Citizenship: Switzerland
Aponte-Diamant cofounded Mediterranean Shipping Company with her husband and helped build it into one of the world’s largest shipping and logistics groups.
- Savitri Jindal & family — $39.1 billion
Age: 75
Source of wealth: Steel
Citizenship: India
Jindal inherited the conglomerate founded by her late husband O.P. Jindal, which operates across steel, power, cement, and infrastructure sectors.
- Miriam Adelson & family — $37.5 billion
Age: 80
Source of wealth: Casinos
Citizenship: United States
Adelson inherited her wealth from casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and remains a major shareholder in Las Vegas Sands, one of the world’s largest casino operators.
- Abigail Johnson — $33.2 billion
Age: 64
Source of wealth: Fidelity
Citizenship: United States
Johnson serves as chairman and CEO of Fidelity Investments, the financial services firm founded by her grandfather in 1946.
- Zheng Shuliang & family — $33.2 billion
Age: 80
Source of wealth: Aluminum products
Citizenship: China
Zheng is vice chair of China Hongqiao Group, one of the world’s largest aluminum producers, which was founded by her late husband Zhang Shiping.
Self-made fortunes remain rare
The ranking also highlights the relatively small number of women who built their wealth independently. Only 122 women on the list are considered self-made billionaires, compared with a much larger share who inherited their fortunes.
It also includes several high-profile figures from entertainment and fashion, reflecting how cultural industries increasingly generate billion-dollar fortunes. Pop stars Beyoncé and Rihanna both appear among the world’s billionaires, alongside Spanx founder Sara Blakely and singer-songwriter Taylor Swift.
Among the most notable entrepreneurs is Swiss shipping executive Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, who cofounded Mediterranean Shipping Company with her husband and built it into one of the world’s largest shipping groups.
The list also features several new and younger names outside the top ten. Brazilian entrepreneur Luana Lopes Lara, who cofounded the prediction market company Kalshi, became the youngest self-made woman billionaire at age 29 with an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion.
While the gap between male and female billionaires remains large, the steady rise in female representation signals a gradual shift in the global distribution of wealth and influence. As more women build companies and inherit leadership roles in major corporations, analysts expect their share of the world’s richest individuals to continue growing in the years ahead.
