In a historic feat, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, the heiress to the L’Oréal beauty empire, has become the first woman in the world to amass a fortune exceeding $100 billion, as reported by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Bettencourt Meyers’ wealth breached the $100 billion mark propelled by a surge in L’Oréal S.A. stock, which reached a record high on Thursday. According to Bloomberg, her net worth reached $100.1 billion on that day.
At 70 years old, Bettencourt Meyers, along with her family, commands a significant 35% stake in L’Oréal, making them the foremost shareholders in the company established by her grandfather in 1909.
The fortune of the world’s wealthiest woman received a substantial boost from the inheritance left by her mother, Liliane Bettencourt, upon her passing in 2017. The mother and daughter had previously been entangled in a familial dispute regarding the inheritance.
Known for her reclusive nature, Bettencourt Meyers spends her days at home engrossed in reading or playing the piano, as reported by Vanity Fair in 2017. Additionally, she has demonstrated her intellectual pursuits as the author of two books—a comprehensive five-volume study of the Bible and a genealogy of Greek gods.
Presently, the world’s second-richest woman is the American Alice Walton, an heir to the Walmart retail empire, whose fortune amounts to $70 billion.
While Bettencourt Meyers’ wealth has reached the momentous $100 billion milestone, propelling her to the 12th position among the world’s richest individuals, she still trails behind French retail magnate Bernard Arnault.
Bernard Arnault, the founder of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, holds the status of the world’s second-richest person, surpassed only by Elon Musk, with a formidable net worth of $179 billion.
L’Oréal shares concluded 0.6% higher at 451.30 euros on Thursday, marking a 35% year-to-date increase.
