For 2025, billionaire women are more empowered than ever and continue to gain prominence in the professional and labor world. This reflects a positive shift in the global distribution of wealth.
2025 has been a pivotal year for the world’s female billionaires. The presence of women on Forbe’s list grew slightly, representing 13.4% of the total 3,028 individuals with significant wealth, with 406 women standing out for their impressive fortunes.
Although the numbers are still dominated by men, these women have managed to secure their place among the wealthiest, reflecting not only inherited fortunes, but also their own businesses that are making a significant impact.
Forbes’ richest women in the world in 2025
Melinda French Gates, with a net worth of US$30.4 billion
With a net worth of US$30.4 billion, Melinda French Gates ranks tenth on the list of the world’s richest woman. The ex-wife of Bill Gates remains a prominent figure in both philanthropy and the tech sector.
Over the years, she has been a strong advocate for investing in woman-led businesses and has dedicated a significant portion of her wealth to social causes through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
In 2024, she stepped away from the foundation to focus on her investment firm, Pivotal Ventures, which funds initiatives aimed at advancing social equity.
Marilyn Simons, with a net worth of US$31 billion
Marylin Simons, widow of Jim Simons, holds the ninth spot with a net worth of US$31 billion. She inherited the fortune of her husband, the founder of Renaissance Technologies, one of the most successful hedge funds in the world.
Through the Simons Foundation, Marylin continues her husband’s legacy by supporting causes related to education and scientific research.
Miriam Adelson, with a net worth of US$32 billion
Miriam Adelson ranks eight with a net worth of US$32 billion. The widow of magnate Sheldon Adelson, she inherited one of the world’s largest casino companies, Las Vegas Sands.
In addition to her stake in the business, Miriam Adelson has been an active philanthropist, donating significant sums to medical research and public health related causes.
Abigail Johnson, with a net worth of US$32.7 billion
Abigail Johnson, chair of Fidelity Investments, ranks seventh with a net worth of US$32.7 billion. Fidelity is one of the largest asset management firms in the world and was founded by her grandfather in 1946.
Abigail took over the leadership of the company in 2014, and her wealth is closely tied to her stake in the family business. She ranks 74 on Forbes’ global list of billionaires, a list that is heavily laden with men. Although Johnson comes from a rich family, people close to her say she is well liked and respected in and out of the office.
Fidelity Investments is the second largest fund management company in the U.S. with a whopping US$1.7 trillion being managed. The company handles brokerage, retirement and benefit funds and personal asset management.
Savitri Jindal, with a net worth of US$35.5 billion
In sixth place is Savitri Jindal, chair of the Jindal Group, with a net worth of US$35.5 billion. Jindal inherited the conglomerate after the death of her husband, Om Prakash Jindal, in 2005. Following his death, the business was divided among their four sons.
Her Mumbai-based son, Sajjan Jindal, leads JSW Steel, JSW Cement and JSW Paints, and took JSW Infrastructure public in 2023. In 2024 he expanded into electric vehicles by acquiring a 35% stake in MG Morto India, a subsidiary of Chinas SAIC Motor.
Today, Savitri Jindal leads one of India’s most prominent industrial groups, with operations in steel, power, and cement.
Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, with a net worth of US$37.7 billion
Rafaela Aponte-Diamant is the co-founder of the world’s largest shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). With a net worth of US$37.7 billion, she ranks fifth.
Together with her husband, Gianluigi Aponte, she founded MSC in 1970, using an initial loan of US$200,000 to purchase their first ship. Today, MSC is the largest shipping line in the world, with a fleet of 900 vessels operating globally.
Aponte-Diamant built her fortune and is among the 113 women who have amassed their wealth independently.
She has received numerous awards and recognitions for her contributions to the shipping industry. Some of these notable awards include:
- Forbes World’s Wealthiest Self-Made Woman (2023)
- Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2018)
- Lloyd’s List Global Shipping Personality of the Year (2017)
- Seatrade Personality of the Year (2016)
- Lloyd’s List Women in Shipping Lifetime Achievement Award (2015)
Jaqueline Mars, with a net worth of US$42.6 billion
In fourth place is Jaqueline Mars, with a net worth of US$42.6 billion. She and her family control Mars Inc., the candy and pet food giant known for iconic brands like M&M’s, Snickers and Pedigree.
She inherited the family legacy of the company founded in 1911 by her grandfather, Frank C. Mars, who started by selling candy from his kitchen. Mars Inc. remains a major player in the food industry, and her fortune continues to grow over time.
Jaqueline Mars has had a successful career at Mars Inc. by leading various leadership positions. She has also been recognized for her philanthropic efforts and contributions to organizations such as the U.S. Equestrian Team, Washington National Opera, National Sporting Library and Fine Arts Museum.
Julia Koch, with a net worth of US$74.2 billion
Julia Koch, widow of David Koch, holds third place with a net worth of US$74.2 billion.
Julia comes from a nominal family background and has experienced a usual childhood just like any other middle-class child. Her parents owned a furniture store. She completed her graduation from the University of Central Arkansas and pursued her dream to become a fashion designer.
After her husband’s death in 2019, she and their three children inherited 42% stake in Koch Industries-an industrial conglomerate with operations spanning oil refining, energy and agriculture.
Despite its wide range of operations, Koch Industries remains one of the largest privately held conglomerates in the United States.
Julia is also deeply involved in philanthropy, serving as a trustee for major cultural institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
After the death of her husband, she donated US$10 million to Mount Sinai Medical Centre and US$10 million to Standford Children’s Hospital to study food allergies as part of the charity.
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, with a net worth of US$81.6 billion
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers holds second place with a net worth of US$81.6 billion. Although the L’Oreal heiress was the richest woman in the world in 2024, Alice Walton claimed the top spot this year.
Her fortune comes from her stake in the cosmetics giant, a company founded by her grandfather, Eugene Shueller. Despite facing challenges in sales–particularly in key markets like China–she remains a central figure in the global beauty industry.
Like Walton, Bettencourt Meyers is also part of a family with an enduring legacy in beauty and mass retail. L’Oreal was founded 115 years ago in Paris and ranks No. 90 on the Fortune 500 Europe List. The company is one of France’s crown jewels in the business world.
Bettencourt Meyers and her family own about 35% of the beaty group, which was passed from her mother, Liliane, after she died in 2017. She is known to be private, and little is known about her life outside L’Oreal. Her two sons have seats on the company’s board.
Alice Walton, with a net worth of US $101 billion
With a net worth of US$101 billion, Alice Walton remains the richest woman in the world in 2025. The only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, she saw her fortune grow thanks to the rise in the retail giant’s stock price.
Unlike her brothers, Walton never served on Walmart’s board of directors and instead focused on the arts. Her most notable contribution is the creation of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in her hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas, which features works by iconic artists such as Andy Warhol and Norman Rockwell.
She has ramped up her own philanthropy over the past decade, pouring more than US$5.8 billion into five charitable foundations that have doled out an estimated US$1.7 billion of her funds to date. That includes an estimated US$400 million gifted through the Walton Family Foundation (which her parents founded on Walmart’s 25th anniversary in 1987) to organizations focused on education reform, the environment and the region surrounding her hometown in Bentonville.
Today, Walton ranks as the 15th richest person in the world, a few spots behind her brothers Rob Walton, 80, and Jim Walton, 76, who are worth US$110 billion and US$109 billion, respectively.