Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, the 72-year-old French beauty heiress and granddaughter of L’Oréal founder Eugène Schueller, has added about $24 billion to her fortune this year, making her wealthier than Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani.
Her net worth has soared 32% in the last eight months to nearly $98 billion, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index data as of Monday. The rise reflects a 17% jump in L’Oréal’s share price this year, which is trading close to $400. Bettencourt Meyers owns a 35% stake in the company that controls brands such as Maybelline, Lancôme, and Redken.
Outpacing Global Billionaires
Bettencourt Meyers ranked as the sixth-biggest wealth gainer this year, surpassing tech titans and industry leaders. She added more to her fortune than Alphabet cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Pop Mart CEO Wang Ning, and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son — each of whom saw gains between $17 billion and $21 billion since January.
She now ranks 18th on Bloomberg’s global rich list, one place ahead of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, whose wealth stands at nearly $97 billion. However, she still trails Alice Walton, the Walmart heiress worth $118 billion, who overtook Bettencourt Meyers last year as the world’s richest woman.
From Heiress to Billionaire Trailblazer
Bettencourt Meyers inherited her massive L’Oréal stake in 2017 after the death of her mother, Lilian. In late 2023, she became the first woman ever to reach a $100 billion net worth milestone. But a sharp dip in the cosmetics giant’s stock last year pulled her fortune below $75 billion at the start of 2025.
Earlier this year, she retired from L’Oréal’s board after 28 years of service. Her son, Jean-Victor Meyers, has since taken over as vice chair.
Stock Rally Fuels Fortune
L’Oréal’s strong performance has been key to Bettencourt Meyers’ rebound. The company reported robust first-half growth with like-for-like revenues rising 3%, alongside increased sales in four of its five global markets and across all four product categories.
In July, JPMorgan upgraded L’Oréal’s stock from “underweight” to “neutral,” citing an improving growth outlook that has further boosted investor confidence and share prices.