5 of the Wealthiest Women in the World: Diversity and Inclusion Edition
I was going to write an article about the 5 richest women in the world, but when I started researching I realized that all 5 women are white and came up from generational wealth.
Nothing against these women, but I wanted to end national women’s month by celebrating diversity and inclusion amongst women.
That leads us to this article. I’ve compiled a list of 5 of the wealthiest women in the world, one from each ethnic group, and one honorable mention.
Take a look at these amazing women, celebrate their differences, and learn from their success.
Wealthiest Black Woman in the World
The wealthiest black woman in the world is from Nigeria, her name is Folorunsho Alakija and she is a BOSS.
Or
The wealthiest black woman in the world is from America, her name is Oprah Winfrey and she is a BOSS.
Which one of these statements is true?
The wealthiest black woman in the world is actually Oprah.
Oprah and Folorunsho have been battling for the esteemed title for several years.
Google is team Folorunsho. When I google “wealthiest black woman in the world” a cute photo of Ms. Alakija comes up. As I scroll down on Google, several other sources confirm that Oprah’s recent acquisitions have put her in the lead.
On March 27th, Afrotech reported that Oprah had surpassed Folorunsho after securing a (money) bag with Apple TV.
I’ve included Folorunsho as an honorable mention because her story is super inspiring and she’s a BOSS who deserves the recognition.
Baller: Oprah Winfrey
Industry: Film & TV
Net Worth: Estimated $2.6 Billion
If you’re an American who does not know who Oprah is, I don’t trust you.
Oprah Winfrey is a billionaire media executive, philanthropist, and TV personality.
Never forget Winfrey’s main claim to fame, The Oprah Winfrey Show, an international day-time sensation that blessed our TV screens from 1986 to 2011.
Oprah’s childhood was not easy, she was born in Kosciusko Mississippi where she faced challenges and abuse, but, like a true boss, Oprah used adversity as motivation for success.
In 1971 Winfrey started school at Tennessee State University and launched her career on radio and television.
In 1976 she moved to Baltimore and became the host of People Are Talking. Oprah’s obvious star power on the show landed her a job hosting her very own show A.M. Chicago.
The Oprah Winfrey Show launched in 1986 as a nationally syndicated program that made Oprah a household name around the world.
The show had a 25-year run, ending in 2011 after airing on 120 channels to over 10 million people.
Winfrey earned an estimated $30 million from her run on national TV and went on to acquire ownership of the show through her company, Harpo Productions. The acquisition of the syndicated program was a huge boost for Oprah’s baller status.
Owning her TV show wasn’t enough for Oprah, after ending The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2011, she dove into a joint venture with Discovery Communications and launched OWN (the Oprah Winfrey Network).
In 2018, Oprah secured a big bag with Apple by signing a multi-year content deal. The content deal included bringing Oprah’s Book Club to the Apple TV+ streaming service in 2019.
Oprah’s non-stop hustle has made her the wealthiest black woman in the world. The Apple deal and Oprah’s other acquisitions brought her estimated net-worth to $2.7 billion, beating out her competitors, Isabel Dos Santos ($2 billion) and Folorunsho Alakija ($1 billion as of 2020)
Honorable Mention
Baller: Folorunsho Alakija
Industry: Oil, fashion, philanthropy, real-estate
Net Worth: Estimated $1 Billion
Folorunsho Alakija is a Nigerian oil tycoon who’s also known for her contributions to the African fashion world.
Alakija had humble beginnings as an executive secretary and then moved on to a career in banking. During her time at FinBank, Folorunsho started working on her life dream of entering the fashion business. She soon went on to open her tailoring company, Supreme Stitches, which became a Nigerian household name, serving clients like Nigeria’s former first lady, Maryam Babangida.
Like a true boss, Alakija didn’t stop at fashion. In 1993 she entered the oil prospecting business by acquiring a license and diving headfirst into the Nigerian coastal oil world.
Today, Folorunsho Alakija is the owner of Famfa, a lucrative oil company that holds upwards of 60% of the oil field. She founded the Rose of Sharon Foundation which helps orphans and widows, she continues to make strides across multiple industries and shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.
At a 2014 University of Lagos ceremony, Alakija addressed the youth with these words:
“So I am 63 and I am not yet done. So what is your excuse? I never went to a University and I am proud to say so because I don’t think I have done too badly,” — Alakaji
Self-made boss? Definitely.
Google says the fashionista oil tycoon (Alakija) has a net worth of 2.1 billion, but Forbes reported her at only $1 billion as of 2020, dropping her to the third richest black woman in the world.
Wealthiest White Woman in the World
Baller: Francoise Bettencourt Meyers
Industry: Cosmetics
Net Worth: Estimated $49.3 Billion
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers is the wealthiest woman in the world, as reported by Forbes in 2019.
Meyers is the heiress of L’Oréal and the chairwoman of the L’Oréal holding company, she’s the 15th richest person in the world.
Francoise is the perfect example of major generational wealth goals. She inherited her family fortune through her grandfather, L’Oréal’s founder Eugène Schueller. Sheueller’s affinity for inventing hair dyes lead to the launch of a billion-dollar brand. Schueller remains on the company’s board today.
Following the death of her mother, Liliane Bettencourt, Francoise Bettencourt Meyers’ worth went way up.
She may come from old money, but Bettencourt’s success shows that the business savvy mindset runs in her family. Between 2017–2019 Francoise Bettencourt’s net worth increased by $7.1 billion, pushing her to the top of 2019 Forbes World’s Billionaires list.
Wealthiest Asian Woman In The World
Baller: Yang Huiyan
Industry: Real Estate, Education
Net Worth: Estimated $22.8 billion
The 4th richest woman in the world and the world’s richest Asian woman is Yang Huiyan. Yang’s rise to billionaire status started in 2007 when she inherited a 70% stake in the real estate company, Country Garden Holdings. As the company’s main shareholder, Huiyan became the wealthiest person in China at age 25.
In 2018 Huiyan earned a whopping $2 billion on the first four trading days of the year, she’s held the title of the richest woman in China for 6 years in a row and continues to evolve as a leader in the real estate market. As the vice-chairman of Country Garden Holdings, today, Yang owns 57% of the company’s shares.
Yang’s family ties helped her to accumulate her wealth, but as a true businesswoman does, Yang has multiple ventures that keep her on the top of the Forbes list. She’s the owner of Bright Scholar Education Holdings, the company responsible for operating the most prominent international K-12 schools in China.
Yang is killing it as one of the richest women in the world and she’s not even 40 yet!
Wealthiest Latina In The World
Baller: Iris Balbina Fontbona
Industry: Mining, Brewing, Banking
Net Worth: Estimated $22.8 billion
Iris Balbina Fontbona is an OG Chilean billionaire. She was the 5th richest Latin American person as of 2019 and the 8th wealthiest woman in the world.
Reports on Fontbona’s net worth vary, ranging from $10 billion to $15 billion between mid-2019 and 2020.
Born in Chile in 1942, Fontbona inherited her money bag from her late husband, Andrónico Luksic Abaroa. After his death, Abaroa left his billion-dollar copper mining company, Antofagasta PLC, in the hands of his wife, launching Balbina Fontbona to major baller status.
As the G.O.A.T of Chile’s mining industry and the wealthiest person in Chile, Fontbana has her stake in several other industries under the Luksic group, including banking, brewing, and shipping.
5 women with different backgrounds, from different industries and different places, with one thing in common, they’re all FILTHY RICH BOSSES!
