Françoise Bettencourt Meyers: The Richest Woman in The World

Francoise Bettencourt-Meyers is the wealthiest woman in the world with a net worth of over $49.3 billion. She is the largest shareholder in one of the biggest beauty and skincare companies known as L’Oreal, which was founded by her grandmother. From a young age, she was groomed to inherit her family business and has proved to be a successful businesswoman.

Early Life and Education

Francoise Bettencourt-Meyers was born in 1953 to Andre Bettencourt and Liliane Bettencourt, the daughter of L’Oreal’s founder. As a young girl, Francoise was raised on the wealthy lifestyle her family afforded her. At the age of 16, Bettencourt-Meyers began attending one of the most prestigious private schools in France, Ecole Active Bilingue, where she followed in her family’s footsteps by studying classical literature.

In 1973, Bettencourt-Meyers graduated from University of Paris, with a degree in philosophy. A few years later, Bettencourt-Meyers finished her legal studies and passed the French bar exam. Although she had planned to put her legal career to use, it wasn’t until 1988 that she joined Bettencourt-Schueller Foundation, the charitable organization founded by her parents.

Career

In 1987, Bettencourt-Meyers was appointed to the board of directors at L’Oreal and although she was not initially involved in the company’s day-to-day operations, Bettencourt-Meyers was always a shareholder in the company.

In 1997, Bettencourt-Meyers took on a more influential and active role in the company by becoming its chairwoman. In the same year, she took L’Oreal public, trading shares on the Paris Stock Exchange and launching the company firmly into the public eye. From then onwards, her roles at L’Oreal have grown steadily, from chairwoman, to chief executive officer and now she is the main shareholder.

Investments

Francoise Bettencourt-Meyers has not only succeeded in her career with L’Oreal but has also made financially savvy investments to grow her wealth. She has holdings in North Pacific Group and is also a major stakeholder in Accor SA, one of the largest hotel chains in the world.

Philanthropic Endeavors

Although Bettencourt-Meyers has made her wealth through smart investments, she has also used her wealth to help others. She founded the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation and is the president to date. The foundation, which Bettencourt-Meyers has been the president for since 1997, is the largest family-run foundation in France and has donated hundreds of millions of euros to humanitarian and scientific causes.

Bettencourt-Meyers is also widely recognized for her philanthropic acts. She has received numerous awards and nominations for her contributions to the French Elie Wiesel Foundation and the “Conference of Human Rights”. In 2019, she was also named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world by Time magazine.

Francoise Bettencourt-Meyers is the wealthiest woman living in the world today with a net worth of over $49.3 billion. As the largest shareholder in L’Oreal, Bettencourt-Meyers has been able to use her business acumen to grow the company and expand her investments. On top of being a successful businesswoman, she is also widely recognized for her philanthropic endeavors and her generous donations to humanitarian and scientific causes.

With a successful career as the chairwoman and main shareholder in L’Oreal, Bettencourt-Meyers continues to be a financial icon. She does not let the money or influence get to her head and instead strives to be an example of how women can be influential, successful, and generous business leaders.