Quick answer
Alice Walton, the Walmart heiress, is the richest woman in the world in 2026, with an estimated net worth of $119 billion on Forbes’ real-time tracker (26 September 2026). Françoise Bettencourt Meyers of L’Oréal is second at $93.2 billion, and Julia Koch of Koch, Inc. is third at $84.6 billion. Only Alice Walton is above $100 billion.
Last updated: 30 September 2026. Figures are the latest published estimates; see sources below.
This list answers who the richest woman in the world is in 2026 and ranks the top 10 by estimated net worth. It uses Forbes’ real-time billionaires data, with each profile checked between 19 and 30 September 2026. Where Forbes names a fortune “& family”, we follow its naming, because the wealth is shared with children or relatives.
Most of the top 10 inherited or married into family businesses, from Walmart and L’Oréal to Mars and Fidelity. The order has shifted since Forbes’ annual list in March 2026: falling share prices pulled the top two lower, Abigail Johnson climbed two places and Marilyn Simons entered the top 10.
For scale, Alice Walton’s $119 billion is about $26 billion more than No. 2 and almost four times No. 10, Miriam Adelson ($31.4 billion). Among all billionaires, men included, Walton ranks 15th in the world on Forbes Real-Time and Françoise Bettencourt Meyers 21st.
At a glance: richest women in the world (2026)
| Rank | Name | Net worth (est.) | Main source of wealth | As of (Forbes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alice Walton | $119 billion | Walmart | 26 Sep 2026 |
| 2 | Françoise Bettencourt Meyers & family | $93.2 billion | L’Oréal | 30 Sep 2026 |
| 3 | Julia Koch & family | $84.6 billion | Koch, Inc. | 27 Sep 2026 |
| 4 | Jacqueline Mars | $50.3 billion | Mars (candy, pet food) | 29 Sep 2026 |
| 5 | Iris Fontbona & family | $46.6 billion | Mining (Antofagasta), Quiñenco | 19 Sep 2026 |
| 6 | Rafaela Aponte-Diamant | $46.0 billion | MSC shipping (self-made) | 27 Sep 2026 |
| 7 | Abigail Johnson | $41.6 billion | Fidelity Investments | 25 Sep 2026 |
| 8 | Savitri Jindal & family | $39.6 billion | O.P. Jindal Group (steel, power) | 20 Sep 2026 |
| 9 | Marilyn Simons & family | $36.6 billion | Renaissance Technologies | 27 Sep 2026 |
| 10 | Miriam Adelson & family | $31.4 billion | Las Vegas Sands | 27 Sep 2026 |
Who is the richest woman in the world?
1. Alice Walton: $119 billion
Alice Walton is the richest woman in the world, with an estimated $119 billion on Forbes’ real-time tracker (26 September 2026). She is the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, and her fortune is her Walmart stake.
She ranks 15th among all billionaires worldwide on Forbes Real-Time. Her figure has fallen from $134 billion in Forbes’ March 2026 annual list on share-price moves, but she is still the only woman above $100 billion.
She founded the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in 2011. Her Alice L. Walton School of Medicine in Bentonville took its first class of 48 MD students in 2025.
Known for: Walmart, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
2. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers & family: $93.2 billion
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers is the granddaughter of L’Oréal’s founder, and she and her family control more than one-third of the beauty company. Forbes puts the family fortune at $93.2 billion (30 September 2026), making her the richest woman in Europe.
She retired from the L’Oréal board in 2025 after sitting on it since 1997. Her son Jean-Victor replaced her as vice chairman.
Her estimate has slipped from $100 billion in March 2026, and she ranks 21st in the world overall on Forbes Real-Time.
Known for: L’Oréal.
3. Julia Koch & family: $84.6 billion
Julia Koch and her three children inherited a 42% stake in Koch, Inc. after her husband David Koch died in 2019. Forbes values the family at $84.6 billion (27 September 2026).
The family has moved into sport. It bought 15% of BSE Global, owner of the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty, in 2024 for about $700 million, and about 10% of the NFL’s New York Giants in 2025.
She is the only one of the top three whose fortune grew this year, rising from $81.2 billion in March 2026.
Known for: Koch, Inc., stakes in the Brooklyn Nets and New York Giants.
4. Jacqueline Mars: $50.3 billion
Jacqueline Mars owns about one-third of Mars, the candy and pet food company founded by her grandfather in 1911. Forbes values her at $50.3 billion (29 September 2026).
Mars completed its $35.9 billion purchase, including debt, of snack maker Kellanova in December 2025. The company is privately held, and its brands include M&M’s, pet care and, after the Kellanova deal, Pringles.
She moved up from fifth to fourth place since March 2026, overtaking Iris Fontbona.
Known for: Mars, M&M’s.
5. Iris Fontbona & family: $46.6 billion
Iris Fontbona is the widow of Andrónico Luksic. She and her sons control Chilean copper miner Antofagasta Plc and a majority of the conglomerate Quiñenco, which spans banking, beer and manufacturing.
Her son Jean-Paul Luksic chairs Antofagasta. Forbes values the family at $46.6 billion (19 September 2026).
She slipped from fourth to fifth place since March 2026 as Jacqueline Mars moved ahead. She is the only Latin American woman in the top 10.
Known for: Antofagasta, Quiñenco.
6. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant: $46 billion
Rafaela Aponte-Diamant co-owns MSC, the world’s largest shipping line, 50-50 with her husband Gianluigi Aponte. The couple bought their first ship in 1970 with a $200,000 loan.
Forbes values her at $46 billion (27 September 2026) and classes her fortune as self-made, which makes her the richest self-made woman in the world. MSC bought Bolloré Africa Logistics for $6 billion in 2022.
She sits just $600 million behind Iris Fontbona, so the two could swap places with small market moves.
Known for: MSC, the world’s largest shipping line.
7. Abigail Johnson: $41.6 billion
Abigail Johnson has been CEO of Fidelity Investments since 2014 and chair since 2016. She owns about 29% of the company, which managed $7.1 trillion in discretionary assets as of December 2025.
Forbes values her at $41.6 billion (25 September 2026), up from $33.2 billion in March 2026. That rise took her from ninth to seventh place, past Savitri Jindal.
Known for: Fidelity Investments.
8. Savitri Jindal & family: $39.6 billion
Savitri Jindal is the richest woman in India, worth $39.6 billion on Forbes Real-Time (20 September 2026). She is chairperson emerita of the O.P. Jindal Group, founded by her late husband Om Prakash Jindal, who died in 2005.
Her sons run the businesses: Sajjan Jindal heads JSW Steel, JSW Cement and JSW Paints, and Naveen Jindal runs Jindal Steel & Power. JSW’s electric vehicle partnership with MG Motor, formed in 2024, has sold 100,000 vehicles, according to Forbes.
Known for: O.P. Jindal Group, JSW Steel.
9. Marilyn Simons & family: $36.6 billion
Marilyn Simons is the widow of Jim Simons, founder of hedge fund Renaissance Technologies, who died in 2024. Forbes values the family at $36.6 billion (27 September 2026).
She chairs the Simons Foundation, and the family has given more than $10 billion to charity. She is a new entry in the top 10 this year, and her rise pushed Zheng Shuliang of China Hongqiao out of the list.
Known for: Renaissance Technologies, the Simons Foundation.
10. Miriam Adelson & family: $31.4 billion
Miriam Adelson is the widow of Las Vegas Sands founder Sheldon Adelson, who died in 2021. The family controls more than half of the casino company, which operates in Macao and Singapore.
In 2023 she bought a majority stake in the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks from Mark Cuban. Forbes values the family at $31.4 billion (27 September 2026), about $4 billion ahead of MacKenzie Scott at No. 11.
Known for: Las Vegas Sands, Dallas Mavericks.
Richest self-made woman and the richest women by region
Richest self-made woman in the world: Rafaela Aponte-Diamant of MSC, at $46 billion (27 September 2026). The richest self-made American woman is Diane Hendricks of ABC Supply, at $23.6 billion (19 September 2026).
Richest woman in Europe: Françoise Bettencourt Meyers of L’Oréal, at $93.2 billion with her family (30 September 2026).
Richest woman in Latin America: Iris Fontbona, at $46.6 billion with her family (19 September 2026), the only Latin American woman in the top 10.
Richest woman in India: Savitri Jindal, at $39.6 billion on Forbes Real-Time (20 September 2026). She is eighth among women worldwide and the only Indian woman in the global top 10.
Just outside the top 10
- MacKenzie Scott, $27.3 billion (27 Sep 2026): has given away about $26.4 billion to more than 2,700 nonprofits.
- Gina Rinehart, $25.5 billion (23 Sep 2026)
- Susanne Klatten, $24.7 billion (22 Sep 2026)
- Zheng Shuliang & family, $24.6 billion (30 Sep 2026): China Hongqiao aluminium; resigned as vice chairman in May 2026.
- Diane Hendricks, $23.6 billion (19 Sep 2026): ABC Supply; richest self-made American woman.
- Christy Walton, $21.9 billion (19 Sep 2026): Walmart.
What changed in 2026
- Since Forbes’ annual list (1 March 2026), Alice Walton fell from $134 billion to $119 billion and Françoise Bettencourt Meyers from $100 billion to $93.2 billion on share-price moves.
- Julia Koch rose from $81.2 billion to $84.6 billion.
- Jacqueline Mars overtook Iris Fontbona for fourth place.
- Abigail Johnson climbed from ninth to seventh ($33.2 billion to $41.6 billion), passing Savitri Jindal.
- Marilyn Simons ($36.6 billion) entered the top 10, and Zheng Shuliang dropped out at $24.6 billion.
- MacKenzie Scott and Gina Rinehart remain outside the top 10.
How we ranked this list
We ranked women by estimated net worth on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires tracker, checking each individual profile between 19 and 30 September 2026. Comparisons with earlier in the year use the Forbes annual list dated 1 March 2026. Where Forbes lists a fortune as “& family”, we keep that label. Real-time figures move daily with share prices, so the order of closely ranked names can change within days.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is the richest woman in the world in 2026?
Alice Walton, the Walmart heiress, with a Forbes real-time net worth of $119 billion as of 26 September 2026.
Who is the richest woman in Europe?
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers of L’Oréal, worth $93.2 billion with her family on Forbes Real-Time (30 September 2026). She ranks second among women worldwide.
Who is the richest self-made woman in the world?
Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, co-owner of shipping giant MSC, worth $46 billion (Forbes, 27 September 2026). The richest self-made American woman is Diane Hendricks of ABC Supply at $23.6 billion.
How many women have a fortune above $100 billion?
In Forbes’ 2026 annual list (1 March 2026), two did: Alice Walton ($134 billion) and Françoise Bettencourt Meyers ($100 billion). By late September 2026 only Alice Walton remained above $100 billion.
How much is MacKenzie Scott worth?
MacKenzie Scott is worth $27.3 billion on Forbes Real-Time (27 September 2026), just outside the top 10, largely because she has given away about $26.4 billion to more than 2,700 nonprofits.
Who is the richest woman in India?
Savitri Jindal, chairperson emerita of the O.P. Jindal Group, worth $39.6 billion on Forbes Real-Time (20 September 2026). She ranks eighth among women worldwide.
Sources
- Forbes Australia, The Richest Women In The World 2026 (as of 1 March 2026)
- Forbes, Alice Walton profile (real-time, September 2026)
- Forbes, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers profile (real-time, September 2026)
- Forbes, Julia Koch profile (real-time, September 2026)
- Forbes, Savitri Jindal profile (real-time, September 2026)
- Forbes, Rafaela Aponte-Diamant profile (real-time, September 2026)
- Forbes, Marilyn Simons profile (real-time, September 2026)
- Forbes, MacKenzie Scott profile (real-time, September 2026)
- Forbes, Diane Hendricks profile (real-time, September 2026)
- Forbes, Zheng Shuliang profile (real-time, September 2026)
Net worth figures are Forbes real-time estimates based on public data; they change daily with share prices and are not audited.
