World's second richest woman is worth £70billion but no one knows who she is
The second wealthiest woman on the planet is valued at £68.5 billion (or $92.4b), yet most folk won't recognise her name.
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, 72, inherited the L'Oréal empire, established by her grandfather Eugene Paul Louis Schueller.
She sat on the company's board from 1997 until February this year when she revealed her retirement plans.
Bettencourt Meyers took control of the cosmetics empire in 2017 following her mother's passing.
Her fight for the family fortune unfolded during a dramatic court case in France, with eight individuals ultimately convicted of taking advantage of her mother, Liliane Bettencourt, reports the Express.
She currently holds 20th position on the Forbes billionaires list, which charts the globe's wealthiest individuals.
But how exactly does Bettencourt Meyers spend her vast fortune?
The family's charitable foundation is recognised for supporting scientific research and artistic endeavours, with her relatives pledging $226 million towards Notre Dame Cathedral's restoration following the devastating 2019 blaze.
Despite her enormous riches, Bettencourt Meyers claims she has maintained the same circle of freidns throughout her life.
Speaking to Le Monde, the French publication, she said she had always been "quite attentive to the sincerity of others" during her youth, adding: "If someone had wanted to marry me on the pretext that I had money, I would have seen it."
She also shared her approach to raising her two sons, aiming to "protect them" from developing an unhealthy obsession with wealth. "Our method was to spend a lot of time with them. I always travelled with both of them, but also with one, then the other, separately. We interested them in the outside world, in culture, in art. My husband and I always make sure to listen to them, to let them achieve their goals," Bettencourt Meyers said.
Alice Walton, 75, is currently the wealthiest woman globally, sitting comfortably in 16th place on the Forbes billionaires list with a net worth of approximately £84 billion ($112.5b). Walton, the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, has carved out a career as an art curator.
She owns the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas, which showcases works by renowned artists like Mark Rothko and Andy Warhol.
Walton has expressed her commitment to "committed to increasing access to arts, improving education, enhancing health, and advancing economic opportunity for all".
Just below Bettencourt Meyers on the billionaires list, in 22nd place, is Julia Koch and family. Koch, 63, along with her children, inherited a 42% stake in Koch Inc.
from her late husband David Koch in 2019. Her net worth stands at approximately £55.3 billion ($74.2b).
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