Forbes 30th annual list of the world’s richest people is proof that luxury can take a human form. But the wealthiest pockets have gotten a little lighter this year and the total number of female billionaires fell to 190 from 197 last year, and women make up 10% of the world’s 1,810 ten-figure fortunes.
#1. Liliane Bettencourt
Liliane Bettencourt of France sits on the throne of the richest woman in the world while also maintaining the 11th spot on the Forbes general list of the richest people. The reigning queen of the riches also had her share of loss when L’Oreal’s shares worth $4 billion fell in the markets last year. To add to the loss, several former wealth managers and celebrity photographer François-Marie Banier, were found guilty last year of conning the 93-year-old Parisian billionaire out of millions of euros. But even after all the drama in the life of the richest, Bettencourt and her family are still worth $36.1 billion today.
#2. Alice Walton
Next in line for the throne, Alice Walton takes the crown for the second richest woman in the world by having a worth of $32.3 billion. The economy spared no one and the billionaire lost $7.1 billion last year because of a drop in the price of Wal-Mart stock. Even though she is not an active part of running the giant firm, she still has a share in the wealth garnered by Wal-Mart. However billionaires are known to have expensive hobbies and Alice too has interests like collecting art and making political donations, including $25,000 to a super-PAC supporting Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
#3. Jacqueline Mars
Did you know your indulgence in chocolate was actually making someone somewhere a billionaire? The third richest woman in the world is worth $23.4 billion and its no other than the part-owner of Mars- Jacqueline Mars who also lost $3.2 billion this year. After losing billions, she is still one of the richest women without playing an active role in the colossal pet food and candy maker brand which has $33 billion in annual revenue.
#4. Maria Franca Fissolo
Following the footsteps of her predecessor on this list into the Candyland, Italy’s Maria Franca Fissolo bags the title of the fourth richest woman in the world with a net worth of $22.1 billion. After the death of the Ferrero Group founder, Michele Ferrero, Fissolo is the owner of the private company with her son Giovanni, the CEO. All the Nutella spread, Kinder chocolates and Tic-Tac mints that we buy are going into the making of this Italian billionaire, this list definitely proves that candy is a good investment.
#5. Susanne Klatten
Susanne Klatten is catching up with the billions when she secretly transferred shares in BMW over the years but the transfers only came to light when her mother, Johanna Quandt, last year’s ninth richest woman, died in August 2015, making Sussane the fifth richest women in the world today.Klatten is credited with steering German pharmaceutical and chemical company Altana AG toward $2 billion in annual sales. Worth a $18.5 billion, Klatten, and her brother Stefan Quandt, who is also a billionaire, together own almost half of BMW.
Who said all that glitters is gold? For all you know the sparkle is probably from the net worths printed on the Forbes World’s Richest annual list.
