PHOTO: Alice Walton. FILE
Alice Walton, the Walmart heiress, has surpassed the L’Oréal heiress to become the world’s richest woman and is on the verge of reaching a net worth of $100 billion.
Alice Walton, daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, now boasts a net worth exceeding $95 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. This significant milestone is attributed to a 44% surge in Walmart’s stock price this year, which has added $25 billion to her wealth.
In contrast, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, the granddaughter of L’Oréal founder Eugène Schueller, has seen her net worth decrease by $9 billion to $91 billion, following a 12% drop in L’Oréal shares since January.
At the end of last year, Bettencourt Meyers was worth $100 billion, while Walton’s net worth was $70 billion.
Currently, Walton ranks 18th on Bloomberg’s list of the world’s richest individuals, just behind her brothers Jim ($98 billion) and Rob ($95.8 billion), who also own substantial stakes in Walmart. Together, the Walton siblings hold more than 11% of Walmart and have accumulated over $15 billion from stock sales and dividends, according to Bloomberg.
Bettencourt Meyers, who inherited a 35% stake in L’Oréal from her mother, Liliane, who passed away in 2017, ranks 20th on the rich list. L’Oréal owns brands such as Garnier and Maybelline.
If Alice Walton’s wealth continues to grow and surpasses the $100 billion mark, she will join an exclusive group of centibillionaires that includes Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett.
Walton and Bettencourt Meyers are among several prominent heiresses on Bloomberg’s list, including Jacqueline Badger Mars and Abigail Johnson, who inherited their fortunes from the founders of Mars and Fidelity, respectively.