Alice Walton, the heiress to the Walmart fortune, has now become the world's richest woman, surpassing L'Oréal heiress Françoise Bettencourt Meyers. Walton's net worth has reached over $95 billion for the first time, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. This milestone is due to Walmart's stock price soaring 44% to a record high this year, adding $25 billion to Walton's wealth.
In contrast, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, the granddaughter of L'Oréal founder Eugène Schueller, has seen her wealth decline by $10 billion this year, bringing her net worth down to $90 billion. L'Oréal shares have dropped by 13% since January, reflecting this decrease, according to reports.
At the end of last year, Bettencourt Meyers was worth $100 billion, while Walton's wealth was at $70 billion. However, the tables have turned, with Walton now ranking 18th on Bloomberg's rich list, just behind her two brothers, Jim and Rob, who are also billionaires with net worths of $98 billion and $95.8 billion, respectively. The Walton siblings each own over 11% of Walmart and have earned more than $15 billion from stock sales and dividends over the years.
Meanwhile, Bettencourt Meyers holds about 35% of L'Oréal, the world's largest cosmetics company, which owns well-known brands like Garnier and Maybelline. She inherited her stake from her mother, Liliane Bettencourt, who passed away in 2017.
