Alpha female: Applause for billionaire women

Kim Kardashian

I bet you know all about Elon Musk. His company, Tesla, and have probably heard his elaborate and out of this world ideas.

I am also guessing that you’re very familiar with names such as Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg. They all have some things in common. They’re billionaires. They work for and own some of the most notable and successful companies. And they’re all men.

Wait, so, there’s no hate here. Those people worked hard – extremely hard – for their success.

But if I asked you to name at least three female billionaires, could you easily drop their names? Hold on. Don’t go and start searching them yet.

See? Billionaire women aren’t as ‘prominent’ and ‘known’ as men.

Now, to get to know more about these alpha females here’s a list and the background on some of the most powerful and influential female billionaires around the globe.

A Pact of Fierce Women

As of last year, about 244 women were included on the ultra-exclusive of the world’s billionaires. However, that was just a small jump from 242 women back in 2018.

Imagine being listed among the top richest people in the world? The feeling must have been ecstatic. Imagine how it could have felt for those women who broke the barriers and stuck their names on the list.

Power in Beauty

I guess you’ve heard about L’Oréal, the world’s leading makeup, cosmetics, perfume, and haircare company. Well, the world’s wealthiest woman hales from this company.

Meet Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, a 66-year-old French woman who is a huge stakeholder of the French cosmetics company. She owns about 33.14% of the company.

Bettencourt Meyers inherited her fortune from her late mother, Lilian, back in 2017. She has been serving as one of the company’s board members since 1997.

Remember when the Notre Dame burned down? Apparently, Bettencourt and her family’s foundation donated a whopping $226 million to help pay for the damages of the fire. Having a few billion on your pocket means that giving a few hundred million won’t hurt, right?

So, if you’re wondering what Bettencourt Meyers’ net worth is, it’s just about $58.7 billion.

Walmart’s Heiress and Arts

The second richest woman in the world is the one and only daughter of the founders of Walmart, Alice Walton.

Born in 1949, Walton now owns over $11 billion worth of Walmart shares. As of writing, she is ranked as the 16th richest person in the globe and is in holding for second place for the world’s richest woman.

Walton has an exquisite taste in arts. And with billions in her account, she could afford some of the finest artworks that her heart desires. At just the age of ten, the Walmart heiress already purchased her first piece of art.

Imagine, at that age, I was just playing with my dolls.

One of the works she owns is Kindred Spirits, an Asher Brown Durand’s painting that is worth an estimated $35 million.

Walton’s net worth stands at $51.8 billion at the moment.

Queen of the Amazon

After being married to Jeff Bezos, one of the wealthiest men in the earth, MacKenzie Bezos divorced and rose to the ranks of the world’s richest women.

Part of their settlement includes Jeff transferring approximately 4% of Amazon’s stakes, that’s 25% of his own shares.

But don’t get it wrong, she worked hard for those shares. Mackenzie worked as an accountant for the company when it was still budding. And there were even times when she even personally helped deliver shipments by sending them through UPS.

Amazon’s queen lives a fairly quiet life. She gave only little details to the press about her personal life.

Millennials on the List

The list of fierce women isn’t only for the older generations. Baby boomers and Generation X may make up most of the exclusive list of female billionaires, but millennials are also making their names heard.

I believe you know of Kylie Jenner. If not, you must have heard her name or about her family, the Kardashians.

Kylie Jenner is the youngest female billionaire and she’s just 22 years old.

Keeping up with the Kardashians didn’t make her a billionaire though. The young Jenner’s bank account got a massive boost from her profits made by Kylie Cosmetics.

Jenner started the company back in 2015 and it was formerly called Kylie Lip Kits.

She drew her inspiration from her greatest insecurity during her childhood, her lips. Perhaps that vulnerability was one of the main reasons why so many of her followers connected and patronized the brand.

The American media personality isn’t the only young woman who is aspiring to make it big on the list.

It Goes On And On

Yes, female billionaires aren’t as recognized compared to the opposite sex. But the new generation and the advancements in our time is giving them a platform.

Other names on the list include Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs, Jacqueline Mars of Mars candy maker, and Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken.

Looking at the bigger picture, women are somehow filling the void ignored by men in the market, which is cosmetics.

As more women venture into business and amass great wealth, organizations like Forbes are expanding their ranks to help celebrate these fierce women.

Women shouldn’t be underestimated after all. They trailblaze their own paths, may it be through entrepreneurship, stardom, or trading and investing.

Women are making their names heard. Women are working as hard as men to reach their financial goals.

Keep yourself motivated. Try new things. Explore new fields – start your own business, start trading and investing, work harder and stay determined.

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