Alice Walton Retakes Top Spot on Forbes World’s Richest Women List

Walmart heiress Alice Walton has returned to the summit of the Forbes world’s richest women’s list for the second consecutive year.

According to the 2026 World’s Billionaires ranking, Walton’s fortune has grown to $134 billion, solidifying her dominance in the global financial landscape. Walton first secured the top position in September 2024 after surpassing L’Oréal heiress Françoise Bettencourt Meyers.

The latest rankings show Bettencourt Meyers in second place with a net worth of $100 billion, followed by Julia Koch, widow of the late industrialist David Koch, with $81.2 billion. This year’s global list features 481 women out of a total of 3,428 billionaires, representing 14% of the list—a slight increase from the 13.4% recorded last year.

Notable shifts in the top five include Chilean mining and beverage heiress Iris Fontbona, who rose to fourth place with $52.6 billion, overtaking Jacqueline Mars ($49.1 billion). Among the top ten, Swiss shipping magnate Rafaela Aponte-Diamant remains the highest-ranked self-made female billionaire with $44.5 billion. Overall, the number of self-made women on the list rose to 122 this year.

The list also highlighted significant entries from the entertainment and tech sectors. Global superstar Beyoncé made her debut with a net worth of $1 billion, joining fellow artists Taylor Swift ($2 billion) and Rihanna ($1 billion). Additionally, 29-year-old Luana Lopes Lara, co-founder of the prediction market firm Kalshi, has become the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire.