Who is Françoise Bettencourt Meyers?
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers is the heiress to the L’Oréal fortune and the second richest woman in the world, worth $104.3 billion with her family on Forbes’ real-time list on 12 November 2026, 19th among all billionaires 5. The Bettencourt Meyers family holds about 34.8% of L’Oréal through its holding company, Téthys, which she chairs 23.
How did Françoise Bettencourt Meyers make her money?
She inherited it. Her grandfather, the chemist Eugène Schueller, founded L’Oréal in 1909, and her mother, Liliane Bettencourt, held a large stake in the company. In 1992 Liliane passed nearly all of her assets, including the L’Oréal shares, to her daughter. After Liliane died in September 2017, when Forbes valued her at about $39.5 billion, Françoise’s fortune tripled as L’Oréal’s share price rose 12.
Early life and family
Françoise Bettencourt was born on 10 July 1953 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, the only child of Liliane Bettencourt and the politician André Bettencourt, who died in 2007. In 1984 she married Jean-Pierre Meyers in Fiesole, Tuscany. They have two sons, Jean-Victor, born in 1986, and Nicolas, born in 1988 124.
Career at L’Oréal
She joined L’Oréal’s board in 1997 and left it in April 2025 after 28 years, when her son Jean-Victor Meyers became vice chairman. She chairs Téthys, the family holding company 23. She has also written Bible commentaries, DNA India reported 6. See the Bettencourt Meyers family.
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers net worth
Forbes’ real-time list valued her at $104.3 billion on 12 November 2026, up from $91.9 billion in January 25. Our net worth page has the figures, and our ranking of the wealthiest women in the world shows where she stands behind Alice Walton.