Latest news with #2025BillionairesList
Business Mayor
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
The Richest Women In The World 2025: Billionaires Redefining Power & Purpose
At Luxe Digital, we chase the extraordinary. Our Striking Superlatives series dives headfirst into the world's rarest, priciest, and most exclusive treasures—spanning art, assets, and empires—and brings you along for the ride. Curiosity, after all, sparks discovery and ignites conversation. This time, we're spotlighting the world's richest women, whose colossal fortunes reshape industries and redefine power. From inherited dynasties to self-forged empires, these women —from philanthropists to innovators—wield wealth as a force for change. Alice Walton has reclaimed her throne as the world's wealthiest woman, propelled by Walmart's skyrocketing stock, overtaking L'Oréal heiress Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, whose fortune dipped with the market. Meanwhile, Rafaela Aponte-Diamant commands the seas as the richest self-made female billionaire, steering the world's largest shipping empire. Our rankings are meticulously crafted, cross-referencing Forbes' 2025 Billionaires List (April 2025) with Bloomberg's Billionaires 2025 Index, a daily snapshot of global wealth (as of 14 May 2025). Net worths are presented as ranges, capturing the dynamics of ever-shifting markets. Based in the U.S., Melinda French Gates, born in 1964, is a philanthropist and advocate for women's empowerment and gender equity. Formerly married to Bill Gates (the planet's once-richest man), she co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Following their 2021 divorce, which included a reported $25 billion settlement, she resigned from the foundation in 2024 to focus on Pivotal Ventures, supporting women-led startups. Net Worth: $15.7–$30.4 billion Age: 60 Country: United States Industry: Technology Source of Wealth: Microsoft, Divorce settlement, Investments Impact: Invested $1 billion in 50+ women-led startups since 2024. Interesting Fact: Authored the New York Times bestselling The Moment of Lift . Gina Rinehart, born in 1954, is the executive chairwoman of Hancock Prospecting, Australia's largest private company. Inheriting a struggling mining firm from her father, Lang Hancock, in 1992, she transformed it into a powerhouse through strategic iron ore expansion and rare-earth ventures. Based in Perth, she also oversees a 9.2 million-acre cattle empire. Rinehart's bold leadership has solidified her status as a dominant force in Australia's mining and agricultural sectors. Net Worth: $26.9–29.3 billion Age: 71 Country: Australia Industry: Metals & Mining, Agriculture Source of Wealth: Inherited, Hancock Prospecting Impact: Major shareholder in MP Materials, advancing green tech. Employs 5,000+ across Australia's largest private company. Interesting Fact: Owns the world's largest cattle station, Anna Creek. Marilyn Simons, born in 1951, is a philanthropist and economist with a PhD from Stony Brook University. She co-founded the Simons Foundation with her late husband, Jim Simons, a hedge fund pioneer who passed away in 2024. The foundation funds STEM and autism research, with her grants empowering scientists worldwide, channeling her inherited wealth into scientific breakthroughs. Net Worth: $31 billion Age: 74 Country: United States Industry: Finance & Investments Source of Wealth: Inherited, Renaissance Technologies Impact: Simons Foundation supports 1,000+ researchers annually. Interesting Fact: Co-founded Math for America to train STEM teachers. Miriam Adelson, born in 1945, is a physician and philanthropist who inherited a majority stake in casino company Las Vegas Sands following her husband Sheldon Adelson's death in 2021. Trained in medicine at Tel Aviv University, she has donated over $1 billion to addiction research. A prominent GOP donor based in the U.S., she also co-owns the American professional basketball team Dallas Mavericks. Adelson leverages her wealth to advance scientific research and shape political landscapes, honoring her husband's legacy while forging her own. Net Worth: $32.1–$34.4 billion Age: 79 Country: United States Industry: Casinos Source of Wealth: Inherited, Las Vegas Sands Impact: Clinics treat 10,000+ addiction patients yearly. Interesting Fact: Owns a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks. Savitri Jindal, born in 1940, is the chairwoman of the Jindal Group, a leading Indian conglomerate in steel, power, and cement. After her husband's death in 2005, she transformed personal tragedy into industrial triumph, significantly expanding the family business. Based in India, she also served as a Haryana minister until 2024. Through her foundation, she supports education and healthcare initiatives, demonstrating a strong commitment to social impact. Net Worth: $30.9–35.5 billion Age: 85 Country: India Industry: Steel, Infrastructure Source of Wealth: Inherited, Jindal Group Impact: Jindal Group employs 50,000+ and funds schools and hospitals. Interesting Fact: Served as a minister in Haryana's government until 2024. Abigail Johnson, born in 1961, is the CEO of Fidelity Investments, a Boston-based firm founded by her grandfather. Joining in 1988, she became CEO in 2014, driving innovation with crypto trading and Bitcoin ETFs. A low-profile leader, she serves on boards like SIFMA, shaping the financial industry. Johnson's strategic vision blends tradition with innovation, solidifying Fidelity's dominance and establishing her as a pioneer in wealth management and fintech. Net Worth: $32.7–39.2 billion Age: 63 Country: United States Industry: Finance, Investments Source of Wealth: Inherited, Fidelity Investments Impact: Manages $5.9 trillion in assets for 40 million investors. Interesting Fact: First woman to serve on the Financial Services Forum board and lead a major mutual fund firm. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, born in 1945, is a Swiss-Italian entrepreneur who co-founded Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) in 1970 with her husband, Gianluigi, using a $200,000 loan. Their meeting on a Capri boat trip sparked a global shipping empire with over 900 vessels. Recognized by Forbes as a Self-Made Woman, she plays a key role in MSC Cruises, overseeing ship designs. Net Worth: $37.7 billion Age: 80 Country: Switzerland Industry: Logistics Source of Wealth: Self-made, MSC Impact: MSC handles 7% of global shipping containers, serving 155+ countries. Interesting Fact: Personally decorates MSC Cruises' luxury liners. Jacqueline Mars, born in 1939, is an heiress to Mars, Inc., the family-owned candy empire behind M&M's and Snickers. The granddaughter of founder Frank Mars, she joined the company in 1982 and inherited a one-third stake. Based in Virginia, she is a passionate advocate for conservation and equestrian causes, dedicating significant resources to protecting vast U.S. landscapes. Net Worth: $42.6–44.6 billion Age: 85 Country: United States Industry: Food & Beverage, Confectionery Source of Wealth: Inherited, Mars, Inc. Impact: Protects 100,000+ acres of U.S. land through grants. Interesting Fact: Her Virginia horse farm trains Olympic medalists' mounts. Julia Koch, born in 1962 in Iowa, is a philanthropist who inherited a 42% stake in Koch, Inc. (formerly Koch Industries), a major private firm in oil, agriculture, and more, following the 2019 death of her husband, industrialist David Koch. Transitioning from a fashion assistant to a prominent steward of the company, she is based in New York and supports cultural institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art while funding medical advancements. Her philanthropy reflects a commitment to cultural and scientific progress. Net Worth: $74.2–78.1 billion Age: 63 Country: United States Industry: Industrial Source of Wealth: Inherited, Koch, Inc. Impact: Donated $75 million to NYU Langone for a Florida medical center. Interesting Fact: Owns 15% stakes in Brooklyn Nets, Liberty, and Barclays Center. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, born in 1953 in France, is the heiress to L'Oréal, holding a 35% stake in the cosmetics giant behind Maybelline and Lancôme. Inheriting her fortune from her mother, Liliane, in 2017, her wealth persists despite a 20% dip in L'Oréal's stock. An author of mythology books, she combines intellectual pursuits with business acumen. Through her foundation, she funds science and arts, while her mother's life inspired the 2025 Cannes-premiered film The Richest Woman in the World by Thierry Klifa. Net Worth: $81.6–90.4 billion Age: 71 Country: France Industry: Cosmetics, Retail Source of Wealth: Inherited, L'Oréal Impact: Funds 150+ science and art projects annually via Fondation Bettencourt Schueller. Interesting Facts: Donated $226 million to rebuild Notre-Dame after its 2019 fire. First woman to reach $100 billion net worth in 2023. Alice Walton, born in 1949 in Arkansas, is the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton and a prominent philanthropist. Inheriting a significant Walmart stake in 1992, she founded the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in 2011, showcasing works by artists like Warhol and O'Keeffe. In 2025, she launched the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, advancing equitable healthcare education. Living privately, Walton transforms her retail fortune into cultural enrichment and social impact. Net Worth: $101–115 billion Age: 75 Country: United States Industry: Retail Source of Wealth: Inherited, Walmart Impact: Her museum Crystal Bridges welcomes 600,000 visitors yearly; her medical school promotes equitable healthcare. Interesting Fact: Owns a $25 million art collection, including a $35 million Durand painting. Sold $21 million in Walmart stock in 2024 to fund philanthropy. With over $500 billion in collective wealth, these richest women in the world—nine inheriting wealth, one self-made, and one from a divorce settlement—command retail, logistics, and mining. Their impact—spanning museums, hospitals, and startups—shows wealth's potential to drive change. Read More Star-Studded: 8 Best Valentino Bags To Invest In Self-made successes, though, lag behind inherited empires, highlighting a stark wealth gap. Yet, rising stars like Canva's Melanie Perkins signal a tech-driven future, with slowly more women poised to disrupt the ranks. Celebrities like Oprah Winfrey ($3 billion), the first Black female billionaire since 2003 via her media empire, alongside Rihanna ($1.7 billion), Taylor Swift ($1.6 billion), and Beyoncé ($800 million), underscore entertainment's growing influence—though their wealth pales next to inherited fortunes like Alice Walton's $101 billion. This inspired our separate ranking of the world's richest self-made women, with a spotlight on the under-40 trailblazers shaping the future. List of richest women in the world (Descending order by Net Worth):
India Today
24-04-2025
- Business
- India Today
Oprah Winfrey tops Forbes list as richest talk-show host, surpasses Tom Cruise
In April 2025, Oprah Winfrey was officially declared the world's richest talk show host by Forbes, with a net worth of 3 billion dollars. At age 71, she now holds the 1,219th spot on Forbes' 2025 Billionaires List. Her position highlights her long-standing success and unmatched empire in the media media career began in the mid-1970s as a television news anchor. Her major breakthrough came with the launch of The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986, which continued until 2011. The show's massive success allowed her to step into the role of executive producer, earning substantial profits. Over the years, she has reinvested those profits into various ventures, building her legacy not just as a host but as a powerful per the Forbes report, she 'reinvested, the profits from her show, plus profits from films like 'The Colour Purple', 'Beloved', and 'Selma' (which her Harpo Productions co-produced) add up to an estimated more than 2.5 billion dollars.' In addition to television and film, she launched her channel, OWN, and strategically invested in multiple businesses. Her real estate holdings include several homes in California and over a dozen properties, including 2,100 acres of land in Hawaii. In a separate highlight from April 2025, actor Ben Affleck gained public attention when he taught his 13-year-old son, Samuel, a financial lesson. The young teenager had asked for a pair of sneakers costing 6,000 dollars. Affleck's response to the request sparked conversations about parenting and financial to the Forbes report, Oprah's financial milestone places her above some of the biggest names in entertainment. The combined net worth of Tom Cruise, Dwayne Johnson, and Shah Rukh Khan stands at approximately 2.3 billion dollars, further showcasing the scale of her individual continued influence in the media and business reflects her determination, strategic vision, and long-term impact on the Watch
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
We're millionares. Please tax us more.
While most of the country spends Tax Day occupied with the stress of W2s, 1099s and tax-filing software, millionaires like us pay our tax attorneys top dollar to make sense of all the red tape for us. That doesn't mean Tax Day isn't still a nightmare for us, too, albeit for a different reason. For us, as Patriotic Millionaires, April 15 serves as a scary reminder of the rigged nature of America's tax code. The U.S. tax system has enabled a concentration of wealth so extreme that it threatens our economy, our democracy and the planet. And this year's Tax Day is even scarier, as Republicans are negotiating a tax bill that would further rig the system in favor of wealthy people like us and deepen America's inequality crisis. According to Forbes' 2025 Billionaires List, the U.S. has 902 billionaires whose combined net worth is a record $6.8 trillion. These 902 individuals hold more wealth than the entire bottom half of the country; their riches exceed the GDP of every country in the world aside from the U.S. and China. Of the many factors that drive America's growing inequality, our tax code is among the most significant. For much of the 20th century, the U.S. had a fairly progressive tax structure that limited large, dynastic fortunes. That is no longer the case. Those who are already rich can make money in ways that are subject to income taxes at lower rates or don't count as 'income' at all (for example, by borrowing against unrealized capital gains). Billionaires now pay lower effective tax rates than all other income groups. For the ultrawealthy like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, paying $0 in federal income taxes isn't outside the realm of possibility. Our organization, Patriotic Millionaires, has frequently sounded the alarm over the threat that wealth inequality poses to society. Our economy doesn't stand a chance when this much money is concentrated in the hands of wealthy people like us. It leaves millions of working people without the incomes they need to buy products and services necessary for survival while also maintaining strong consumer demand. Our democracy doesn't stand a chance when a mere 100 billionaire families are responsible for 1 out of every 6 dollars spent in federal elections, giving them an outsized voice and access to our elected officials and candidates for office. And our planet doesn't stand a chance when the ultrawealthy can continue to accelerate climate change into overdrive with their private jets, superyachts and spaceships. The problem of extreme wealth has festered for years, if not decades, but it has taken on a new level of urgency with President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the helm of the federal government. Billionaires subsidized Trump's ticket back to the White House, accounting for no less than a third of the funds he raised. Musk alone contributed $235 million to Trump's presidential bid. Now Musk and his fellow billionaires are getting major returns on their political investment, including the massive tax savings from the 'big, beautiful' bill that the GOP is crafting. Last week, Republicans in the House and the Senate moved one step closer to passing their respective budget blueprints: Both of their plans would cut taxes by no less than $5 trillion, and most of those cuts would be used to extend many of the expiring provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — a bill that overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy. If, as seems likely, the ultrawealthy receive another tax windfall from Republicans, it will only increase the threat that they pose to democracy. This would be bad news at any time and under any administration, but this is especially so under President Trump. Democracy is already hanging by a thread as the president targets perceived enemies, including universities, law firms and the media; purges the Justice Department of officials involved in criminal prosecutions against him; expresses interest in pursuing an unconstitutional third term in office; and declares himself a king on social media. To be clear, we don't have a problem with wealth in and of itself. We make no apologies for our own financial success. People need financial incentives to innovate and work hard, and in the end, their ingenuity benefits all of us. What we do, however, have a problem with is a small handful of people having so much wealth that it inevitably becomes power. We have a problem with billionaires like Trump and Musk using the government to improve their own financial situations and business ventures. More than that, though, we have a problem with the fact that the tax code has done virtually nothing whatsoever to prevent the oligarchic crisis in which America finds itself. If our federal tax system continues to privilege income from wealth over income from work, and if Republicans get their way in passing even more tax cuts for the rich in the coming months, we'll have baked a totally oligarchic concentration of wealth into America's economic cake. There are several actions lawmakers must take to safeguard society from the ravages of extreme wealth concentration, but it is imperative they begin with reforming the tax code to ensure all millionaires and billionaires like us pay our rightful share in taxes. Paying taxes for the betterment of society is our civic duty that we are glad to do, because those who don't have the wealth we have should be able to not only survive but thrive in our society. And with so much on the line, it is important that wealthy people carry out this sacred duty now more than ever. There's no sugarcoating it: Tax Day is a nightmare. And thanks to what Trump, Musk and other ultrawealthy oligarchs are doing to our country, that nightmare has become recurring. To wake our country up and pull our economy, democracy and planet back from the brink of total collapse, lawmakers need to tax wealthy people like us before it's too article was originally published on
Al Bawaba
04-04-2025
- Business
- Al Bawaba
15 richest Saudis make Forbes' 2025 billionaires list
Published April 4th, 2025 - 05:48 GMT ALBAWABA – Fifteen of the wealthiest Saudi men were recently added to Forbes' 2025 Billionaires List, which tracks the daily ups and downs of the world's richest people through its Real-Time Billionaires rankings. Also Read Forbes cover claims Ismail Haniyeh has $4B wealth, turns out fake Saudi richest businessmen listed on Forbes' 2025 billionaires list Forbes magazine released its annual list of the world's richest people for 2025. The new list includes the names of 15 prominent Saudi businessmen from various sectors, including energy, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, banks, and Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud, the Saudi billionaire businessman, investor, philanthropist, and member of the House of Saud, topped Forbes' 2025 Billionaires List with a net worth of approximately $16.5 billion. Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib, founder of the Al Habib Medical Group, ranks second on the list with a total fortune of nearly $10.9 billion. The list also features three members of the Al-Muhaidib Group and family, with a combined net worth of nearly $7.4 billion. Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib, founder of the Al Habib Medical Group, ranks second on the list with a total fortune of nearly $10.9 billion. (Shutterstock) Mohammad Abdullah Abunayyan, Chairman of the board of directors of ACWA Power, ranked sixth on Forbes' 2025 billionaires list with a fortune estimated at $3.2 bin Sulaiman Al Rajhi, chairman of Al Rajhi Bank, and Abdullah Al-Othaim, chairman and founder of Abdullah Al-Othaim Markets, both ranked 8th on the list, with an estimated wealth of $2.5 billion the list features several other names, including Abdullah Amer Al Nahdi, founder and vice chairman of Nahdi Medical, Saudi Arabia's largest chain of pharmacies, with a fortune of nearly $2.3 billion. Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, a Saudi businessman and founder and chairman of the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC Group), follows with an estimated wealth of $1.4 notable figures include Khalid Abdul Rahman Saleh Al-Rajhi, chairman and CEO of Abdulrahman Saleh Al Rajhi & Partners Co. Ltd, with a net worth of about $1.2 billion, and Yousuf Mohammad Salah Jamjoom, founder and board member of Jamjoom Pharmaceuticals Factory, one of Saudi Arabia's largest producers of over-the-counter medicines, with a fortune estimated at $1.2 billion. Finally, Forbes' 2025 Billionaires List highlighted Hamad Ali Al-Sagri, vice chairman and managing director of Leejam Sports, which operates a chain of gyms and sports centers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with a fortune of $1.1 billion. Also Read Meet the Bahraini Business Women Who Made It to Forbes List © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
