The Billionaire Heiress You’ve Probably Never Heard Of – Sitting on a $95 Billion Fortune
Most people can easily name billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or Bill Gates. But few could identify Françoise Bettencourt Meyers — even though she quietly holds one of the largest fortunes in the world.
At 72 years old, the French heiress controls an estimated $95 billion, placing her as the second richest woman on the planet and among the top 20 wealthiest people overall, according to Forbes’ live billionaire tracker. Unlike many of the tech moguls ahead of her, she didn’t build a company from scratch — instead, her extraordinary wealth comes from a family empire that has spanned generations.
To put it in perspective: with her net worth, Bettencourt Meyers could buy an NBA ticket for every single American to watch a Warriors vs. Lakers game, throw in an official NBA basketball for each person, and still have tens of billions left over.
So why isn’t her name more widely recognized? The answer lies in her low-profile lifestyle and her family’s carefully maintained legacy.
From Family Legacy to Global Empire
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers is the only daughter of Liliane Bettencourt and granddaughter of Eugène Schueller, the chemist who founded L’Oréal in 1909. When Schueller passed away in 1957, Liliane inherited the cosmetics giant and became one of France’s most powerful businesswomen.
Upon her mother’s death in 2017, Françoise stepped into the role of heiress. Today, she controls roughly 33% of L’Oréal, making her the company’s largest shareholder. Beyond just ownership, she also sits on the board of directors and serves as chairwoman of the family’s holding company, giving her direct influence over the brand’s global direction.
Her fortune has grown steadily thanks to L’Oréal’s expansion into international beauty markets and its success in digital sales, both of which continue to drive the company’s soaring valuation.
Her Personal Life
Françoise is married to Jean-Pierre Meyers, whose family history is marked by tragedy — his grandfather was a rabbi killed at Auschwitz during World War II. Raised Catholic, Françoise later converted to Judaism, and together the couple raised their two sons, Jean-Victor and Nicolas, in the Jewish faith.
Despite her extraordinary wealth, she avoids the celebrity-like spotlight that often surrounds other billionaires. Her preference for privacy is one reason so many people have never heard of her.
Her Fortune Today
As of now, Forbes values her at $95.3 billion, while Bloomberg estimates her wealth at $95.9 billion, ranking her just behind figures like Michael Bloomberg himself (who is excluded from Bloomberg’s own list).
What’s clear is that Françoise Bettencourt Meyers is not just a quiet heiress — she is the power behind one of the most influential companies in the world, and her fortune shows no signs of slowing down.