Françoise Bettencourt Meyers was already the richest girl on this planet, however on Thursday, she hit a brand new milestone—the primary feminine to build up a staggering fortune of over $100 billion ($100.2 billion, to be precise), in line with the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Bettencourt Meyers, the granddaughter of L’Oreal founder Eugène Schueller, is the vice-chair of L’Oréal’s board and, alongside her household, is the prime stakeholder with roughly 35% of its shares.
Her spike in wealth got here as L’Oréal SA shares reached unparalleled heights, positioning the corporate to have considered one of its most profitable years in over 20 years.
Though Bettencourt Meyers has surpassed different feminine billionaires, she nonetheless is not one of many high 10 richest folks on this planet. She is not even the wealthiest girl in France. At quantity 12, she trails behind her compatriot Bernard Arnault. The long-lasting determine behind LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE is second on the Billionaire’s Index with a fortune of $179.4 billion. Elon Musk holds a snug lead at $238 billion.
Not your typical $100 billionheiress
Not like different billionaires who’re identified for his or her outsized personalities and opulent existence, Bettencourt Meyers, 70, is rather more personal and introverted—some might even take into account her a recluse. She has written two books, one on the Bible and the opposite on Greek mythology. She can be a passionate pianist, identified to apply for hours a day.
However regardless of attempting to remain out of the highlight, Bettencourt Meyers made headlines for nearly a decade preventing in court docket over a few of her inheritance. As recounted within the 2017 Netflix documentary ‘L’Affaire Bettencourt,’ her mom, Lilian, suffering from Alzheimer’s illness, needed to present a billion {dollars} in money, actual property, and artwork to François-Marie Banier, an artist, photographer, and pal. However Bettencourt Meyers sued him after her mother’s loss of life. He was finally convicted of abuse.
Associated: An Hermès Inheritor Needs to Give Half His $12 Billion Fortune to His Gardener—and Attorneys Are Going Nuts
Persevering with a French custom
Based in 1909 by chemist Schueller, L’Oreal is now a $268 billion firm. The corporate is a part of a French custom of massively profitable luxurious items behemoths. Apart from L’Oréal and LVMH, the European nation has additionally given rise to different rich households, such because the proprietors of Hermès Worldwide SCA and the Wertheimers, who personal Chanel.
