Women continue to be significantly underrepresented on Forbes’ World’s Billionaires list, though their numbers are gradually increasing. In 2025, 406 of the 3,028 billionaires—just 13.4%—are women.
This marks a slight rise from 2024, when 369 women made the list, accounting for 13.3%. While progress remains slow, the data reflects a steady, albeit marginal, shift in global wealth distribution.
Here are the top 10 World’s Richest Women in 2025 by Forbes:
Melinda French Gates occupies the 10th spot with a net worth of $30.4 billion. The 60 year old American is $19.3 billion richer this year, after Forbes increased its estimate of her 2021 divorce settlement with Bill Gates, which was peg at $25 billion.
In June 2024, she resigned from the Gates Foundation to focus on Pivotal Ventures, a firm she founded to invest in women-led funds and startups; it also has a philanthropic arm focused on social change and women globally. Consistently ranked among America’s top philanthropists, her and Bill Gates’ estimated lifetime giving totals $47.7 billion.
In 9th position is Marilyn Simons & family with a net worth of $31 billion. The 74 year old has her source of wealth from hedge funds. The widow of renowned investor Jim Simons (d. May 2024) controls the Simons Foundation, an organization the couple cofounded to support science education and research.
Simons has devoted a large part of her career to philanthropic leadership, and currently sits on the boards of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and the East Harlem Scholar Academies, and chairs Stony Brook University’s Women’s Leadership Council, a mentorship program she founded in 2014 at her alma mater.
Miriam Adelson & family sit in 8th position with a net worth of $32.1 billion. The 79 year old Israeli-born billionaire and her family own more than half of Las Vegas Sands, the casino empire behind iconic properties such as the Venetian Macao and the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Her late husband, Sheldon Adelson (d. 2021), founded the company in 1989. A physician by training, Adelson has dedicated much of her medical background and philanthropic efforts towards combatting drug addiction. She is a prolific GOP donor.
American Abigail Johnson is 7th with a net worth of $32.7 billion. As the chairman and CEO of Fidelity Investments, the 63 year old wealth stems from her estimated 28.5% stake in the Boston-based mutual fund company founded by her grandfather in 1946. After spending her summers working at Fidelity during college, Johnson eventually joined the company in 1988 as a full-time analyst. She became CEO in 2014, when her father, Edward “Ned” Johnson III (d. 2022), stepped down.
6th on the list is Indian Savitri Jindal & family with a net worth of $35.5 billion. The richest matriarch in India, she controls the Jindal Group, an Indian conglomerate that spans sectors including steel, power, cement and infrastructure. The company was founded by her late husband, Om Prakash Jindal, who died in a helicopter crash in 2005. Four of Jindal’s nine children help manage the company.
80 year old Swiss Rafaela Aponte-Diamant is number 5 on the list with a net worth of $37.7 billion. Aponte-Diamant is the richest self-made woman on the Forbes list for the third year in a row. The Swiss billionaire owes her fortune to her 50% stake in Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the world’s largest shipping line, which she cofounded with her husband in 1970 after meeting him on a boat trip to Capri, Italy. Today, the business commands a fleet of 900 ships. Her husband Gianluigi owns the other half of the company.
85 year old American Jacqueline Mars with a net worth of $42.6 billion sits at the number 4 position. She has her source of wealth from Source of wealth: Candy and pet food. Mars’ grandfather started selling butter cream candy from his kitchen in 1911. Now Mars Incorporated owns an array of beloved brands including M&Ms, Snickers, Wrigley’s and Pedigree dog food. Mars served on the board for 20 years and is estimated to share ownership with her brother John and her four nieces.
Julia Koch & family is in third position with a net worth of $74.2 billion. The widow of David Koch (d. 2019) added nearly $10 billion to her fortune this year, keeping her spot as the third richest woman in the world. She and her three children inherited a 42% stake in Koch, Inc. (formerly Koch Industries), the second largest private company in the U.S., spanning industries as diverse as oil refining, agriculture and real estate.
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers & family are in second position with a net worth of $81.6 billion. The French L’Oréal heiress, who was the world’s richest woman last year, saw her fortune decline as weaker sales, particularly in China, drove shares down 20%. Bettencourt Meyers, who spent 28 years on the board, announced her retirement as vice chair in February; her son, Jean-Victor Meyers, is slated to fill the position at the end of the year.
At number one spot is Alice Walton with a net worth of $101 billion.The 75 year old American is the richest woman in the world and the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton (d.1992) . She added $28.7 billion to her fortune this year as Walmart stock climbed 40%. Walton’s passion and life’s work has centered around art curation.
She opened the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art in her hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas, showcasing works by American artists Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell and Georgia O’Keefe. This summer, a new medical school bearing her name will welcome its first cohort of medical students in Bentonville.
