Women billionaires: 481 on Forbes’ 2026 list, a record, but only 14% of the total
Women are 14% of the world's billionaires: 481 of 3,428 on Forbes' 2026 list, with 122 self-made. See the richest women billionaires, the richest self-made women and the numbers behind the gap.
Women are 14% of the world’s billionaires: Forbes counted 481 women among a record 3,428 billionaires on its 2026 World’s Billionaires list, up from 406 a year earlier. Of those 481 women, 122 built their own fortunes. Alice Walton, who inherited a stake in Walmart, is the richest at $134.5 billion on Forbes’ real-time list on 11 November 2026. 12
How many women billionaires are there in 2026?
On Forbes’ World’s Billionaires list, with prices as of 1 March 2026, there were 481 women among 3,428 billionaires, about 14%, compared with 406 women (13.4%) in 2025. Forbes’ real-time list on 12 November showed 457 women among 3,401 billionaires, or 13.4%, as tracked by BillionaireTracker. Counts change as fortunes rise above or fall below $1 billion. 12
Women billionaires at a glance
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Women billionaires, March 2026 | 481 of 3,428 (14%) | Forbes |
| Women billionaires, a year earlier | 406 (13.4%) | Forbes |
| Self-made women billionaires | 122, up from 113 | Forbes |
| Women on the Forbes 400 | 62, worth $954 billion combined; 13 self-made | Forbes |
| US self-made women billionaires | 43, a record, worth $166.3 billion | Forbes |
| Share of US self-made billionaire wealth held by women | 2.4% | Forbes |
Forbes counts about 700 self-made male billionaires in the United States, worth a combined $6.7 trillion, against 43 self-made women worth $166.3 billion. Technology is the biggest source of wealth on the women’s list, with 20 of the 43 entrants, according to Forbes data compiled by Imagine If. 2
Who are the richest women billionaires?
The three richest women are Alice Walton ($134.5 billion), Françoise Bettencourt Meyers and family ($104.9 billion) and Julia Koch and family ($84.6 billion). All three inherited their wealth. See the full ranking in our lists of the richest woman in the world and the wealthiest women in the world. 2
The richest self-made women billionaires
| Name | How she made it | Net worth |
|---|---|---|
| Rafaela Aponte-Diamant | Co-founder of shipping group MSC | $43.9 billion (global, 11 Nov) |
| Diane Hendricks | Co-founder of ABC Supply | $21.7 billion (US list, June) |
| Daniela Amodei | Co-founder and president of Anthropic | $15.5 billion (US list, June) |
| Judy Faulkner | Founder of Epic Systems | $9.6 billion (US list, June) |
| Thai Lee | Co-founder and CEO of SHI International | $8 billion (US list, June) |
| Jayshree Ullal | CEO of Arista Networks | $6.8 billion (US list, June) |
Daniela Amodei’s fortune rose from $1.2 billion to an estimated $15.5 billion in a year, which made her America’s second-richest self-made woman, Forbes said. Diane Hendricks topped the self-made list for the ninth year running. The youngest woman on the 2026 self-made list is Kalshi co-founder Luana Lopes Lara, 30, at $2.6 billion. 2
Women billionaires in India
Savitri Jindal and her family, worth about $41.2 billion (₹3.9 lakh crore at ₹94 to the dollar), are India’s richest women and eighth among women worldwide. Read the Savitri Jindal profile and the profile of Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar, one of India’s best-known self-made women founders. 2
What happens next
The share of women among billionaires has edged up each year, and the number of self-made women has risen faster than the total. Forbes updates its list every March, and we refresh these figures as its real-time numbers move. For the other side of the count, see our guide to men billionaires.
Frequently asked questions
How many women billionaires are there?
Forbes counted 481 women among 3,428 billionaires on its 2026 World’s Billionaires list, about 14%, up from 406 in 2025.
How many women billionaires are self-made?
122, up from 113 a year earlier, according to Forbes.
Who is the richest woman billionaire?
Alice Walton, with $134.5 billion on Forbes’ real-time list on 11 November 2026.
Who is the richest self-made woman billionaire?
Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, co-founder of Mediterranean Shipping Company, at $43.9 billion.
How much wealth do self-made women billionaires hold in the US?
Self-made women hold 2.4% of US self-made billionaire wealth: 43 women worth $166.3 billion against about 700 men worth $6.7 trillion.