The world’s richest women is worth a huge £80 billion but “lives in hiding”.
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers is a French businesswoman, philanthropist, and the richest woman in the world. She is the granddaughter of Eugène Schueller, founder of L’Oréal.
The 71-year-old is the only child and heir of Liliane Bettencourt. When Liliane died in 2017, Françoise’s fortune tripled with her investments through her family holding company, Téthys Invest, and the high valuation of L’Oréal shares.
Today, Bettencourt Meyers and her family control 33% of the publicly traded beauty giant, making her a cornerstone of the global cosmetics industry.
She has served on L’Oreal’s board since 1997 and is chairwoman of the family holding company as well as serving as the president of her family’s philanthropic foundation, which encourages French progress in the sciences and arts.
Françoise, is discreet about her wealth. “Indeed, money does drive people crazy,” she declared in a rare interview she gave to Le Monde in 2012.
“Again, I know that I’m privileged but, as you can see, I don’t live in a mansion. We are not big art collectors and, as you can see, I don’t wear jewelry.”
Bettencourt Meyers lives in a modern two-story building with large windows; a relatively modest dwelling compared to the mansion where her parents lived in the heart of the Parisian neighborhood of Saint James, in the exclusive commune of Neuilly-sur-Seine.
Together, L’Oreal and the Bettencourt Meyers family agreed to donate $226 million (£185 million) to repair Notre Dame Cathedral following the April 2019 fire.
Her influence extends beyond business. She chairs the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, which champions the arts, sciences, and social inclusion.
Françoise is also an author, having penned biblical commentaries, showcasing her intellectual depth alongside her business acumen.