Who is the richest woman in the world?

The richest woman in the world is Alice Walton, the billionaire heiress to American supermarket chain, Walmart. How did she make her billions?

Alice Walton, the richest woman in the world, speaks onstage during the Getty Medal Dinner 2022
(Image credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for The J. Paul Getty Trust)

While Selena Gomez reached billionaire status in 2024, she isn’t the richest woman in the world – neither is Taylor Swift nor Rihanna. The title is held by Alice Walton, the only daughter of Walmart’s founder Sam Walton.

According to Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index, Alice Walton has a net worth of $109 billion, making her the 15th richest person in the world. She’s not far behind billionaires Warren Buffett and Steve Ballmer.

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Oojal Dhanjal
Editorial Content Producer

Oojal has a background in consumer journalism and is interested in helping people make the most of their money.Oojal has an MA in international journalism from Cardiff University, and before joining MoneyWeek, she worked for Look After My Bills, a personal finance website, where she covered guides on household bills and money-saving deals.Her bylines can be found on Newsquest, Voice Wales, DIVA and Sony Music, and she has explored subjects ranging from politics and LGBTQIA+ issues to food and entertainment.Outside of work, Oojal enjoys travelling, going to the movies and learning Spanish with a little green owl.