These are the 10 richest women of all time
Although it’s mainly male billionaires like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg who keep making headlines, the richest ladies in the world don’t need to hide either. There is also a German among the wealthy ladies who have earned their money in very different ways. Since we’re talking about the richest women of all time , we’ve traveled through different eras. Some of the women listed have already passed away. Our list also includes women of noble blood who were very influential not only thanks to their vast fortunes. So we embark on a journey through time.
We made sure that all the ladies in our ranking also contributed to their assets themselves. Instead of women just resting on their inheritance. This is the case, for example, with Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton, who, as the richest woman in the USA, is therefore not on our list of the richest women of all time. Of course, the ladies’ assets have been adjusted for inflation to allow for any comparison.
10Yang Huiyan – $5.2 billion net worth
Born in China in 1981, she will one day inherit a huge real estate empire from her father. She has also proven herself in the real estate industry and has become a seasoned entrepreneur, although she was hit hard by the 2007 recession. Her one-time fortune of $16.2 billion is worth just $5.2 billion today .
9Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken – $11.7 billion net worth
This Dutch superwoman is the only child of Freddy Heineken, who was CEO of the world’s largest beer company from 1971 to 1989 . When her father passed away, Charlene inherited a fortune of $4.8 billion along with a 50 percent stake in the family business. Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken played an instrumental role in the growth of the beer group. Through her work, the tough woman has ensured that her inherited assets have more than doubled.
8thSusanne Klatten – $16.2 billion net worth
Susanne Klatten is not only the richest woman in Germany, she also made it to number 8 on our list. Together with her mother and her brother, she owns almost 50 percent of the BMW Group . Whether at the chemical company Altana or at the Dresdner Bank, Susanne has always proven that she is a smart businesswoman who does not want to rest on her family heritage. Therefore, Susanna Klatten has repeatedly used the alias Susanne Kant to be appreciated in the professional world for her talents and not for her family heritage. This allowed her to demonstrate her qualities without favours.
7Anne Cox Chambers – $17 billion net worth
The American is the only surviving daughter of the founder of Cox Enterprise . It is a media company that owns numerous newspapers, TV and radio stations. Until recently, Anne still played an active role in the group. But in November 2015, at the age of 96, she retired from business life. Her three heirs now take care of all business.
6Liliane Bettencourt – $35 billion net worth
Liliane Bettencourt is the sole L’Oreal heiress . Her father once founded what is now the largest cosmetics company in the world. When her father died in 1957 and she inherited his entire empire, Liliane was just 35 years old. However, she is now 91 years old and leaves the management of the company to others.
5Isabella of Castile – 1.45 million ducats per year
During her lifetime, the Spanish monarch Isabelle of Castile was one of the richest queens in the world. When she died in 1504, she was earning around 1.45 million ducats a year. At that time ducats were the gold coin currency of Spain. Gold does not lose value, quite the opposite. Today it would probably be a few places further up due to the increase in value. Because 1000 ducats correspond to about 111 ounces of gold, with one ounce being worth about 1230 US dollars.
4Cleopatra – $95.8 billion net worth
There is hardly anyone who does not know her – Cleopatra. Cleopatra is remembered today not only for her wealth but also for her beauty . The beautiful female pharaoh of Egypt ruled over some of the country’s most important luxuries.
3Catherine the Great – $1.5 trillion fortune
During her lifetime, Catherine the Great, as ruler of Russia, controlled a good 5 percent of the gross domestic product. In addition, the extremely rich Catherine is known to this day as the longest reigning woman in Russia.
2Hatshepsut – exact fortune unknown
Although her exact net worth is not known, Hatshepsut still made it to number 2. She was Egypt’s first female pharaoh , paving the way for Cleopatra as well. Hatshepsut also went down in Egyptian history as the richest female head of state ever. She had to fight hard to be accepted as a woman by her subjects at the head of state.
1Empress Wu – exact fortune unknown
Empress Wu did whatever it took to make her way to the top. She had affairs with two Chinese emperors who were also father and son. So she managed to become empress herself at the side of Emperor Gaozong. During their 15-year rule, the Chinese Empire was able to rise to become one of the largest empires in the world. So the place 1 is well deserved despite all the intrigues.