Who are the top 20 female billionaires? Over the past decade, female entrepreneurs have shown time and time again that they are often time as worthy if not more worthy than their male counterparts. Long gone are the days when females were mere housewives in charge of family errands, raising the kids, and keeping the household. Nowadays, more and more women are taking charge and building an outstanding career for themselves.
In this article we will present a list of the top 20 females billionaires in 2014, based on the figures released by the Forbes Magazine at the beginning of March. The following women are ranked according to their estimated net worth. This year, female billionaires set a new record: out of the total of 1,645 billionaires in the world, 172 of them are females, 24 more than in 2013.
Christy Walton emerged as this year’s wealthiest female in the world, with an estimated net worth of $36.7 billion. While Christy might have inherited most of her fortune at the time of her husband’s death in 2005, she’s proven her savvy business skills over the years. She invested in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR), whose shares jumped up a whopping 47% during 2013, helping explain why her fortune is well above that of other Walton family members.
This year’s runner-up, Liliane Bettencourt may have lost her leading spot to Walton, but this doesn’t mean her wealth isn’t ever-expanding. Thanks to L’Oreal shares going up in 2013, her wealth also increased by 9% compared to last year. Another Walton family member, Alice Walton, wraps up our top three wealthiest women in the world, with an estimated net worth of $34.3 billion.
Curious to see who the wealthiest women in 2014 are? Let’s take a look at the countdown. Also don’t forget to check out our lists of 10 Youngest Hedge Fund Billionaires and Warren Buffett and Billionaires Are Crazy About These 7 Stocks.
No. 20: Milane Frantz
Net worth: $6.3 billion
Country: The United States
No. 19: Randa Duncan Williams
Net worth: $6.3 billion
Country: The United States
No. 18: Dannine Avara
Net worth: $6.3 billion
Country: The United States
No. 17: Pansy Ho
Net worth: $6.4 billion
Country: Hong Kong
No. 16: Huiyan Yang
Net worth: $6.9 billion
Country: China
No. 15: Margarita Louis-Dreyfus
Net worth: $8.1 billion
Country: Switzerland
No. 14: Antonia Johnson
Net worth: $8.5 billion
Country: Sweden
No. 13: Elaine Marshall
Net worth: $8.8 billion
Country: The United States
No. 12: Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken
Net worth: $10.4 billion
Country: The Netherlands
No. 11: Miuccia Prada
Net worth: $11.1 billion
Country: Italy
No. 10: Joanna Quandt
Net worth: $12.8 billion
Country: Germany
No. 9: Laurene Powell Jobs
Net worth: $14 billion
Country: The United States
No. 8: Anne Cox Chambers
Net worth: $15.5 billion
Country: The United States
No. 7: Abigail Johnson
Net worth: $17.3 billion
Country: The United States
No. 6: Susanne Klatten
Net worth: $17.4 billion
Country: Germany
No. 5: Gina Rinehart
Net worth: $17.7 billion
Country: Australia
No. 4: Jacqueline Badger Mars
Net worth: $20 billion
Country: The United States
No. 3: Alice Walton
Net worth: $34.3 billion
Country: The United States
No. 2: Liliane Bettencourt
Net worth: $34.5 billion
Country: France
No. 1: Christy Walton
Net worth: $36.7 billion
Country: The United States
