World's second richest woman has 79bn Euro fortune but no one has heard of her
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, 72, inherited the L'Oréal empire established by her grandfather Eugene Paul Louis Schueller.
She held a position on the board of directors from 1997 until February this year, when she declared her intention to step down.
Bettencourt Meyers assumed control of the cosmetics empire in 2017 following her mother's passing.
Her struggle to secure her inheritance unfolded in a dramatic French courtroom, culminating in eight individuals being convicted of taking advantage of her mother, Liliane Bettencourt, reports the Express.
She currently occupies 20th position on the Forbes billionaires list, which catalogues the planet's wealthiest individuals. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers is an heiress to the L'Oreal fortune (Image: Getty)
So how does Bettencourt Meyers utilise her vast wealth?
The family's charitable foundation is recognised for supporting scientific research and artistic endeavours, whilst her relatives committed $226 million towards restoring Notre Dame Cathedral following the devastating 2019 blaze.
Despite her extraordinary riches, Bettencourt Meyers maintains she has retained the same circle of companions throughout her life. Speaking to Le Monde, the French publication, she revealed she had always been "quite attentive to the sincerity of others" during her youth, saying: "If someone had wanted to marry me on the pretext that I had money, I would have seen it."
She's been extra cautious in bringing up her lads, aiming to shield them from money madness. Art curator Alice Walton is the richest woman in the world (Image: Getty)
"Our method was to spend a lot of time with them. I always traveled 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," said Bettencourt Meyers.
Topping the rich list is Alice Walton, 75, who's the wealthiest woman on the planet, ranking 16th on Forbes' billionaire roster with a hefty £84 billion ($112.5b) fortune. The sole heiress of Walmart founder Sam Walton, she's carved out a name for herself as an art curator and runs the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas, home to pieces by icons like Mark Rothko and Andy Warhol.
Walton has made it clear that her mission is "committed to increasing access to arts, improving education, enhancing health, and advancing economic opportunity for all".
Hot on her heels is Julia Koch and her brood, sitting at 22nd on the billionaires chart. After her hubby David Koch passed away in 2019, Koch, 63, bagged a 42% slice of Koch Inc., along with her kids, amassing around £55.3 billion ($74.2b).
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