This year marked a prosperous period for billionaires globally, with 141 newcomers joining the Forbes billionaires’ club, bringing the total to 2,381 members.
Collectively, their wealth reached an unprecedented $14.2 trillion—an increase of $2 trillion from 2023 and $1.1 trillion above the previous record set in 2021.
The 2024 Forbes billionaires’ list featured 369 women among the 2,781 billionaires, highlighting their growing, albeit still limited, presence.
Notably, 46 women made their debut on the list this year, driven by factors such as surging stock values and inheritances.
The report highlighted that women now represent 13.3% of the world’s billionaires, a notable increase from 12.8% in 2023, when 337 women made the list.
These female billionaires, leading industries such as finance, investing, retail, clothing, and manufacturing, collectively hold a net worth of nearly $1.8 trillion—an increase of approximately $240 billion compared to last year.
The article also sheds light on the countries contributing the most female billionaires in the Forbes 2024 billionaire ranking, as summarized in the table below.
| Rank | Country | Female Billionaires |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
United States |
119 |
|
2 |
China |
44 |
|
3 |
Germany |
35 |
|
4 |
Italy |
22 |
|
5 |
India |
17 |
|
6 |
Brazil |
13 |
|
7 |
Hong Kong |
11 |
|
8 |
Switzerland |
10 |
|
9 |
Sweden |
10 |
|
10 |
France |
10 |
The United States topped the rankings with 119 female billionaires, followed by China in second place with 44, and Germany securing the third spot with 35.
For the fourth consecutive year, the world’s richest woman is Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, the L’Oréal heiress from France.
Over the past 12 months, her fortune surged by $19 billion, bringing her net worth to $99.5 billion—the largest gain among women on the 2024 list.
