Women only account for 15% of The Forbes 400. But these 60 moguls are worth a collective $621 billion.
By Jemima Denham, Contributor
The richest people in the U.S. are still, by and large, men. But there are more women on The Forbes 400 ranking of the wealthiest Americans than last year, and they’ve gotten richer, too.
In all, 60 women found a spot on this year’s Forbes 400 list, up from 58 in 2022. They’re worth a combined $621 billion, up from $535 billion a year ago.
The richest woman in America is Walmart heir Alice Walton, who reclaimed top place after losing it last year to Julia Koch, who inherited a 42% stake in industrial conglomerate Koch Industries from her late husband David Koch (d. 2019). Walton, who had been the nation’s wealthiest woman for seven years before 2022, added $10.8 billion to her fortune since last year after a 26% rise in Walmart stock. The daughter of Walmart cofounder Sam Walton (d. 1992), she’s worth an estimated $66.5 billion. Koch, who got a $3.8 billion wealthier, is now the second-richest woman in the country, worth an estimated $59.8 billion.
Forbes2023 Forbes 400: The Richest Newcomers - 2023-10-06 - 2023 Forbes 400: The Richest Newcomers
At number three among women is Jacqueline Mars, who has an estimated net worth of $38.9 billion thanks to the estimated one-third stake she inherited in Mars, Inc., the beloved candy and petcare brand behind M&M’s, Snickers and Iams pet food.
Three women joined the 400 this year: Elisabeth DeLuca, Annette Lerner and Eren Ozmen. DeLuca, the wealthiest newcomer (worth an estimated $8.2 billion), inherited 50% of Subway from her husband, cofounder Fred DeLuca (d. 2015). In August, private equity firm Roark Capital agreed to swallow up the sandwich chain in a deal reported to be worth more than $9 billion. Lerner inherited her estimated $6.5 billion fortune from her late husband Ted Lerner, the real-estate tycoon and former owner of the Washington Nationals baseball team who passed away in February. Ozmen, meanwhile, has built a fortune in the aerospace industry. Sierra Space, the company she cofounded with her husband Fatih (also a new member of The Forbes 400) in 2021, is building a spaceplane and has teamed up with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to strategize replacements for the International Space Station.
Ozmen, a Turkish immigrant who sold baklava and cleaned an office building to put herself through business school, is one of just 12 self-made women to make the list, up from ten last year. The wealthiest woman to have created her own fortune remains Diane Hendricks ($19.3 billion), owner of roofing supply company ABC Supply. Other self-made women on the ranks include Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores cofounder Judy Love ($10.2 billion), Panda Express cofounder Peggy Cherng ($3.1 billion) and former eBay and Hewlett-Packard CEO, and current U.S. ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman ($3 billion).
HERE’S A CLOSER LOOK OF THE TOP 10 WOMEN ON THE FORBES 400
NET WORTHS AS OF SEPTEMBER 8, 2023
10. Melinda French Gates
Net worth: $10.3 billion | Source of wealth: Microsoft
One of the most powerful women in philanthropy, she co-chairs the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which she started with her ex-husband Bill Gates. She got stock in several publicly traded companies, worth at least $2.4 billion at the time, as part of their 2021 divorce.
9. Christy Walton
Net worth: $11.8 billion | Source of wealth: Walmart
The widow of John Walton, son of Walmart cofounder Sam Walton (d. 1992), she inherited a stake in the retailer when John died in a 2005 plane crash. She was a major funder of the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump super-PAC that ran ads in battleground states, during the 2020 campaign.
8. Laurene Powell Jobs
Net worth: $13.4 billion | Source of wealth: Apple, Disney
Jobs inherited most of her fortune from her late husband, Apple cofounder Steve Jobs (d. 2011). Apple shares still account for a big chunk of net worth, but she also owns stakes in Disney, Monumental Sports & Entertainment and a stake in The Atlantic.
7. Diane Hendricks
Net worth: $19.3 billion | Source of wealth: Building supplies
The richest self-made woman in America, she cofounded roofing supply company ABC Supply in 1982 with her late husband Ken Hendricks (d. 2007). Revenues jumped almost 26% last year, to $14.7 billion. Hendricks is also known as one of the biggest donors to Republican campaigns, including former president Donald Trump and Sen. Ron Johnson.
6. Abigail Johnson
Net worth: $25.5 billion | Source of wealth: Fidelity
Johnson began working at financial giant Fidelity over summers while still in college at Hobart and William Smith in the early 1980s. She has been CEO of the firm, which her grandfather founded in 1946 and her father ran for almost four decades, since 2014.
5. Miriam Adelson
Net worth: $32.8 billion | Source of wealth: Casinos
A medical doctor who has focused on treating patients with addictions, Adelson owns more than half of casino operator Las Vegas Sands, founded by her late husband Sheldon Adelson (d. 2021).
4. MacKenzie Scott
Net worth: $37.1 billion | Source of wealth: Amazon
Scott received 4% of Amazon’s stock as part of her 2019 divorce settlement from Jeff Bezos but since then has been hard to work giving her fortune away. So far, she’s given more than $14 billion to charity.
3. Jacqueline Mars
Net worth: $38.9 billion | Source of wealth: Candy, pet food
An heir to the privately-held Mars candy empire and the granddaughter of its founder, she owns an estimated third of Mars, Inc., maker of everything from Twix bars to Ben’s Original rice to Pedigree dog food. An avid horse lover, she owns a farm in rural Virginia that has trained horses for the Olympics.
2. Julia Koch & family
Net worth: $59.8 billion | Source of wealth: Koch Industries
Koch and her family inherited 42% of Koch Industries from her late husband David Koch (d. 2019). The company, run by her brother-in-law Charles Koch, owns everything from glassmaker Guardian Industries to Georgia-Pacific, maker of Brawny paper towels and Dixie Cups.
1. Alice Walton
Net worth: $66.4 billion | Source of wealth: Walmart
Walton reclaimed her title as America’s richest woman this year, taking the title back from Julia Koch. Her wealth comes from her family’s 46% stake in Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, which her father Sam Walton (d. 1992) cofounded.
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