20120710

World’s Richest Women 2012


Forbes released the 2012 list of billionaires, there are 21 

women billionaires in the world. They have a combined total net 

worth of $248.6 billion. Last year had 20 women billionaires in 

the world with combined fortune of $232 billion.

While the majority of their wealth was inherited – just one 

woman in the top 21 has a self-made fortune- -many are 

putting their money to good use in philanthropy.



#1. Christy Walton, 57, & family



Net worth: $25.3 billion – As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Wal-Mart, United States

The widow of John Walton, she inherited his fortune of $15.7 

billion after he died in an airplane accident in 2005. Regaining 

her 2010,2011 title as world’s richest woman, she got an extra 

bump in her fortune because of her late husband’s early 

investment in First Solar; shares up nearly 500% since 2006 

initial public offering.



#2. Liliane Bettencourt,89



Net worth: $24 billion - As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: L’Oreal, France

France’s richest woman and the only child of Eugene Schueller,  

her late father founded L’Oreal one of the world’s largest 

cosmetics and beauty companies.



#3. Alice Walton, 62



Net worth: $23.3 billion -  As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Wal-Mart, United States

The daughter of Wal-Mart co-founder,  her father, Sam Walton 

(d. 1922), a former clerk, founded original Bentonville store 

with his brother James. Today Wal-Mart has sales of $405 

billion, employs more than 2.1 million people.



#4. Georgina “Gina” Rinehart, 58



Net worth: $18 billion -  As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Mining, Australia

The heiress of Hancock Prospecting and the daughter of the late  

mining magnate Lang Hancock. She is the richest person in 

Australia and the richest woman in Asia.


#5. Iris Fontbona, 69, & family



Net worth: $17.8 billion – As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Mining, Chile

The second wife, and now widow, of billionaire Andronico 

Luksic, who died of cancer in 2005. The family controls 

Antofagasta, one of the world’s largest copper miners. As of 

2012, Iris Fontbona and her family have a net worth of $17.8 

billion.


#6. Birgit Rausing, 88, & family



Net worth$14 billion  - As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Packaging, Sweden

The widow of Gad Rausing, after death of her husband in 2000, 

she inherited the packaging giant Tetra Laval along with her 

three children. In 1944 her father-in-law founded the company, 

which revolutionized the packaging of liquids such as juices and 

milk.


#7. Jacqueline Mars, 72



Net worth $13.8 billion - As of March 2012

Source of Wealth:Candy, Pet food, United States

The granddaughter of Frank C. Mars, founders of the American 

candy company Mars, Incorporated. The company’s products 

are chocolate (Snickers, M&Ms) and pet food (Pedigree). The 

family has since created the world’s largest confectionery 

company by acquiring gum maker Wrigley in 2008 for $23 

billion.


#8. Susanne Klatten, 49



Net worth: $13 billion - As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: BMW, pharmaceuticals, Germany

Susanne Klatten is the daughter of Herbert Quandt, she 

inherited stake in automaker BMW from late father Herbert 

Quandt, who rescued it from bankruptcy in the early 1960s. 

Additionally, she is a trained economist with an M.B.A., Klatten 

also inherited a 50% stake in chemical manufacturer Altana and 

has since increased her control of the company to 100% and 

delisted the company.



#9. Anne Cox Chambers, 92




Net worth: $12.5 billion - As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Cox Enterprises, United States

The daughter of Cox Enterprises founder James M. Cox (d. 

1957), who finished high school at 17 and worked as a 

schoolteacher and newspaper reporter before shelling out 

$26,000 for the Dayton Evening News in 1898.


#10. Savitri Jindal, 62




Net worth: $10.9 billion – As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Steel, India

She became the chairperson of O.P. Jindal Group (a steel and 

power conglomerate) after her husband, Om Prakash Jindal, 

died in a helicopter crash in 2005. Om Prakash Jindal founded 

the company in 1952.  Savitri Jindal and her four sons 

Prithviraj, Sajjan, Ratan and Naveen runs the businesses.



#11. Abigail Johnson, 50



Net worth$10.3 billion – As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Fidelity, United States

Daughter of American businessman and investor Edward 

Johnson, III , Abigail Johnson and her father controls Fidelity 

Investments, America’s largest mutual fund company. She now 

]owns up to 24% of the shares in Fidelity.



#12. Johanna Quandt, 85


Net worth $10 billion – As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: BMW, Germany

The widow of German industrialist Herbert Quandt and mother 

of Susanne Klatten who is worth $13 billion.  A former secretary 

and third wife of the late Herbert Quandt, her husband rescued 

auto maker BMW from bankruptcy in the early 1960s. She 

retired from BMW’s supervisory board in 1997 but still owns 

17% of the auto maker. Her children, Susanne Klatten and 

Stefan Quandt, have large stakes as well and are also 

billionaires. She now lives quietly in spa town of Bad Homburg 

near Frankfurt.


#13. Laurene Powell Jobs & family



Net worth: $9 billion – As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Apple, Disney

The widow of co-founder and former CEO of Apple Inc., Steve 

Jobs, she inherited his wealth after he died in October 2011. A 

fortune that was largely placed into living trusts near the end of 

her husband’s life. She is co-founder and President of the Board 

of College Track.


#14. Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken, 57


Net worth: $7.7 billion – As of March 2012

Source of WealthHeineken, Netherlands

She is the daughter of Freddy Heineken, the Dutch industrialist. 

She inherited 25% stake in Dutch brewer Heineken upon the 

death of her father in 2002. The company has more than 170 

premium brands in more than 65 countries.


#15. Miuccia Prada, 62


Net worth: $6.8 billion – As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Prada

The youngest granddaughter of Mario Prada, founder of fashion 

label Prada . Miuccia Prada runs the company with her husband 

Patrizio Bertelli. She also has a Ph.D. in political science.



#16. Antonia Johnson, 68


Net worth: $6.5 billion - As of March 2012

Source of WealthDiversified, Sweden

In 1982 she succeeded her father as chairman of the board for 

Axel Johnson AB, Sweden, and Axel Johnson Inc., a diversified 

trading company founded by her great-grandfather in 1873.



#17. Blair Parry-Okeden, 61


Net worth: $6.3 billion – As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Cox Enterprises, U.S.

The granddaughter of Cox Enterprises founder James M. Cox 

(d. 1957), Parry-Okeden inherited 25% stake in the business 

after her mother, Barbara Cox Anthony, passed away in 2007.



#18. Wu Yajun, 48, & family


Net worth:$5.7 billion – As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Real Estate, China (Self made)

The richest self-made woman in the world is former journalist, 

Wu Yajun graduated from the Department of Navigation 

Engineering of the Northwestern Polytechnical University in 

1984 with a degree in engineering, and from 1988 to 1993 

worked as a journalist and editor with the China Shirong News 

Agency. She is onwer of  Hong Kong-listed real estate 

developer Longfor Properties. Wu shares her fortune with her 

husband, who also holds a stake in the company.


#19. Yang Huiyan, 30


Net worth: $4.7 billion

Source of Wealth: Real Estate

Daughter of Chinese entrepreneur and the founder of Country 

Garden Group, Yeung Kwok Keung, transferred his holding of 

the family’s main fortune, shares in family-controlled real 

estate developer Country Garden Holdings. Yang is the majority 

shareholder of Country Garden Holdings.


#20. Rosalia Mera, 68


Net worth:  $4.5 billion – As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Zara

Ex-wife of fashion executive Amancio Ortega Gaona, and co-

founder of Inditex (parent company of Zara retail stores). 

Rosalia Mera is Spain’s richest woman. Mera and Ortega are 

long-divorced, but she still holds a 5.8% stake in Inditex, plus a 

pile of cash from its 2001 IPO.