How the world's 431 women billionaires make, spend and give away their fortunes
As women grow their share of global wealth, they’re also becoming a larger share of the billionaire class, with a new set of goals and philanthropy, according to a new report.
As women grow their share of global wealth, they’re also becoming a larger share of the billionaire class, with a new set of goals and philanthropy, according to a new report.
Of the 3,323 billionaires in the world, 13% (or 431) of them are women, according to the Altrata Billionaire Census. While that may seem small, their numbers and share have been growing gradually over the past 10 years.
According to the report, “growth in female entrepreneurship, slowly changing cultural attitudes, and the rising frequency of substantial inter-generational wealth transfers” will continue add to the feminization of the three-comma club.
Inheritances have been the most powerful driver. Of the 431 female billionaires today, three-quarters inherited a portion of their wealth, according to the report. Fully 38% inherited all their wealth, including the three of the richest women in the world, Alice Walton ($104 billion), Julia Flesher Koch and family ($76 billion) and Françoise Bettencourt Meyers ($73 billion), Altrata said. By contrast, only 5% of male billionaires inherited their fortunes.
A quarter of women billionaires are self-made, compared to 66% for men. Those inheritances may become even more common. According to a report from Cerulli Associates, women are expected to inherit up to $30 trillion in the coming decade as part of the Great Wealth Transfer.
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