Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers, heiress to the beauty products company L’Oréal and the richest woman in the world, has become the first woman to have her shares worth over 100 billion US dollars (90.1 billion euros), after L’Oréal shares hit a record high in Paris on Thursday, the 28th of December, reports the BBC.
On Thursday, the 70-year-old Bettencourt-Meyers’ net worth topped 100 billion US dollars on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index,
making her the 12th richest person in the world.
Bettencourt-Meyers is vice-chairwoman of the company’s board. She and her family are the largest shareholders of L’Oréal, owning around 35% of the shares.
She became the sole heir to L’Oréal after the death of her mother, Liliane Bettencourt, in 2017.
Bettencourt-Meyers is said to prefer privacy over attending social events so popular among the world’s riches. She is famous for playing the piano for hours every day and has written two books, a comprehensive five-volume Bible study and a genealogy of the Greek gods.
“She really lives in her cocoon. She lives mostly within her family,” said Tom Sancton, author of The Bettencourt Affair, according to the BBC.
The BBC notes that despite her considerable wealth, Bettencourt-Meyers lags behind her French counterpart Bernard Arnault, who has a fortune of 179 billion US dollars. Arnault, founder of LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods group, owns a number of prestigious brands such as Fendi and Louis Vuitton.
Also read: Bank: 58 200 euros paid to homeowner whose property was damaged by flooding
Follow us on Facebook and X!