Top Ten Women Billionaires Whom We Admire

The extraordinary wealth possessed by these women and their admirable traits make them fascinating people, worthy of our envy and appreciation. Ranging from media’s queen, Oprah Winfrey to other lesser known women, the following list features some of the world’s richest women billionaires.

1. Liliane Bettencourt

$22.9 billion France
As the world’s richest woman, Liliane has the maximum stake in the cosmetic giant, L’Oreal. She is the daughter of founder of L’Oreal, Eugene Schueller who is said to have had a troubled past owing to his ties with the Nazi regime. Liliane has held the stock of the company for more than 40 years.

2. Cristina Green

$8.4 billion United Kingdom
Christina is the wife of retail billionaire Philip Green who is the owner of well known brands such as British Home Stores and Top Shop. Christina and Philip are known for hosting parties at their mansion at Monaco which are attended by the rich and famous.

3. Heidi Horten

$3.7 billion Austria
Having inherited a $1 million fortune from retailer and late husband, Helmut Horten in 1987, Heidi Horten is the world’s 3rd richest billionaire. She spends time in her mansions alternatively in Austria, the Bahamas and Switzerland.

4. Oprah Winfrey

$2.7 Billion United States
Regardless of financial turmoil, Oprah has increased her net worth and is one of the 44 billionaires to have done so. She used her power and skills to garner votes for President Obama in the presidential elections. She is listed among the most generous celebrities of today, her fund is said to have funded 55 new schools in 12 countries. She has also made generous contributions from her personal fortune.

5. Shari Arison

$2.7 Billion Israel
Shari is one of Israel’s richest women. She controls the nation’s largest bank, Bank Hapoalim. She is also popular for having founded a for-profit company that helps to preserve water and reclaim water from pipes that are leaking. She also has plans to establish a solar energy power station in the Negev.

6. Rosalia Mera

$2.6 Billion Spain
Mera started her career by helping her ex-husband, Amancio Ortega, creating lingerie and gowns in their home. They later became one of the world’s leading apparel manufacturers and set up Inditex and Zara retail stores. She also founded the Paideia Foundation which assists those who are differently-abled. Their company’s bio-technology plant is also in the process of inventing new treatments for cancer using compounds found in the sea.

7. Leonore Annenberg

$1.7 Billion United States
Annenberg, the second wife of Walter, inherited half of her publisher husband’s $4 billion estate. She is also the trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and donated around $40 million to the Eisenhower Medical Center, and another $15 million to the journalism museum of Washington, D.C. She also served as U.S. Chief of Protocol under Reagan.

8. Zhang Xin

$1.6 Billion China
Xin and her husband, Pan Shiyi are renowned property developers responsible for the erection of glitzy buildings in Beijing. The duo’s public limited company, SOHO China is very famous. They have established a philanthropic foundation that focuses on education. The foundation is operated and funded by SOHO China.

9. Hind Hariri

$1.1 billion Lebanon
Being the daughter of late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Hariri inherited a stake in her family’s banking, media and construction holdings. She is the youngest female billionaire in the world at the age of 24.

10. J.K. Rowling

$1 Billion Scotland
Rowling transformed from the status of being an ordinary mom, to becoming the world’s most popular author. Her Harry Potter series comprising 7 books has sold 400 million copies worldwide. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, her new book has helped raise $6.5 million for her charity, Children’s High Level Group. In February, she was presented with the Legion of Honor by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.