Just before the end of 2023, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers became the first woman to be worth $100 billion. On the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, she is the 12th richest person in the world, and the richest woman on the list (and thus the wealthiest woman in the world). Since that news, her net worth has fallen slightly due to the share prices.
Bettencourt Meyers, 70, is the heiress of the L'Oréal empire; her grandfather, Eugène Schueller, founded the L’Oréal Group back in 1909, and she now serves as vice chair of the company.
When her mother Liliane Bettencourt died in 2017, she inherited her mother's holdings. At the time of her death, Liliane was the world's wealthiest woman. Per CNN, her net worth rose because "L’Oreal’s stock is at a record high. The stock has risen 35% this year as consumers have continued splurging on luxury products since the pandemic."
The Bettencourt Affair: The World's Richest Woman and the Scandal That Rocked Paris
Bettencourt Meyers is married to Jean-Pierre Meyers, the CEO of Tethys SAS. They have two children, Jean-Victor Meyers, 37, and Nicolás Meyers, 35.
She's an extremely private person, and has authored commentaries on the Bible and a book on the Greek gods. "She really lives inside her own cocoon," Tom Sancton, author of The Bettencourt Affair, told Bloomberg. "She lives mainly with the confines of her own family." Per BBC, "Bettencourt Meyers is said to favour privacy over attending social events frequented by many of the world's wealthy."
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
