Among the richest women in the world in 2026, Walmart heiress Alice Walton ranks first, worth about $134 billion on the Forbes ranking of 10 March 2026. She is followed by L’Oréal heiress Françoise Bettencourt Meyers ($100 billion) and Julia Koch ($81 billion). India’s Savitri Jindal is seventh, at $39.1 billion.
We first published this list using Forbes’ 2021 figures. A lot has changed since then: Alice Walton has overtaken Bettencourt Meyers, two new names have entered the top 10, and almost every fortune has grown. Below is the updated Forbes 2026 top 10, followed by ten more women who featured in the earlier top 20.
Richest women in the world 2026: Forbes top 10
| Rank | Name | Net worth (US$) | Source | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alice Walton | 134 billion | Walmart | United States |
| 2 | Françoise Bettencourt Meyers | 100 billion | L’Oréal | France |
| 3 | Julia Koch | 81 billion | Koch Inc. | United States |
| 4 | Iris Fontbona | 52.6 billion | Antofagasta | Chile |
| 5 | Jacqueline Mars | 49.1 billion | Mars Inc. | United States |
| 6 | Rafaela Aponte-Diamant | 44.5 billion | Mediterranean Shipping Company | Italy, Switzerland |
| 7 | Savitri Jindal | 39.1 billion | Jindal Group | India |
| 8 | Miriam Adelson | 37.5 billion | Las Vegas Sands | Israel, United States |
| 9 | Abigail Johnson | 33.2 billion | Fidelity Investments | United States |
| 10 | Zheng Shuliang | 33.2 billion | Shandong Hongqiao | China |
Figures are Forbes estimates as of 10 March 2026. Billionaire net worth moves with share prices, so live numbers change daily.
1. Alice Walton
The daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, Alice Walton is now the world’s richest woman. Her wealth comes from her stake in Walmart, and it has climbed sharply since 2021, when Forbes valued her at $67.9 billion.
2. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers
The granddaughter of L’Oréal founder Eugène Schueller, she and her family hold a large stake in the beauty giant. She topped our 2021 list at $92.8 billion and has now slipped to second despite her fortune growing.
3. Julia Koch
Julia Koch is the widow of David Koch, who died in 2019. His stake in Koch Industries, now Koch Inc., passed to her and her children.
4. Iris Fontbona
The Chilean billionaire is the widow of Andrónico Luksic, who died in 2005. She and her children control the mining company Antofagasta and other family holdings.
5. Jacqueline Mars
A granddaughter of Mars Inc. founder Frank C. Mars, she and her brother John each held about a third of the family confectionery company as of 2021.
6. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant
A new entry since our first version. Her fortune comes from Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the shipping group.
7. Savitri Jindal
India’s richest woman and the only Indian in the global top 10. Her wealth comes from the Jindal Group. For Indian readers, she is the name to watch on this list.
8. Miriam Adelson
An Israeli-American physician, Miriam Adelson holds a controlling stake in casino company Las Vegas Sands, previously held by her late husband Sheldon Adelson.
9. Abigail Johnson
The CEO and chair of Fidelity Investments, the asset manager founded by her grandfather Edward C. Johnson II.
10. Zheng Shuliang
Her fortune comes from Shandong Hongqiao. She is the highest-ranked Chinese woman on the 2026 list.
Other women who featured in the top 20
The following women were part of the Forbes top 20 when we first published this list in 2021. We could not confirm their exact 2026 ranks, so we list them with the source of their wealth only.
- MacKenzie Scott: Amazon shares from her divorce settlement with Jeff Bezos, which included a 4% stake in the company.
- Gina Rinehart: Australian mining, through Hancock Prospecting, founded by her father Lang Hancock.
- Susanne Klatten: heiress with a large stake in BMW, inherited from her mother.
- Laurene Powell Jobs: Apple and Disney shares inherited from Steve Jobs, and founder of Emerson Collective.
- Yang Huiyan: Country Garden Holdings, the property developer founded by her father.
- Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken: Heineken stake inherited from her father Freddy Heineken.
- Zhong Huijuan: Founder of Hansoh Pharmaceutical, one of the richest self-made women.
- Wang Laichun: Chair of electronics maker Luxshare Precision, which supplies companies including Apple.
- Kirsten Rausing: Swedish heiress with a stake in Tetra Laval, linked to Tetra Pak.
- Zhou Qunfei: Founder of touchscreen maker Lens Technology.
Inherited versus self-made wealth
Inherited wealth dominates the top of the list. Alice Walton, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers and Jacqueline Mars are heirs to family companies, Abigail Johnson runs the firm her grandfather founded, and Julia Koch, Iris Fontbona and Miriam Adelson took over stakes held by their late husbands. Women who built companies themselves, such as Zhong Huijuan, Wang Laichun and Zhou Qunfei, have tended to rank lower.
For stories on India’s rich and famous, see our celebrity section and more rankings in our listicles.
Source: Business Insider
Frequently asked questions
Who is the richest woman in the world in 2026?
Alice Walton, the Walmart heiress, with an estimated net worth of $134 billion according to Forbes as of 10 March 2026.
Who is the richest woman in India?
Savitri Jindal of the Jindal Group, worth $39.1 billion per Forbes in March 2026. She ranks seventh among the world’s richest women.
Is Françoise Bettencourt Meyers still the richest woman?
No. She was number one in 2021 but ranks second in 2026, behind Alice Walton.
Who was the richest woman in the world in 2021?
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, valued by Forbes at $92.8 billion in 2021. Alice Walton was second at $67.9 billion.
Sources: Wikipedia: List of female billionaires (Forbes 2026 data), Forbes real-time billionaires.
