Story perspectives

Women Billionaires Drop to 62 on 2025 Forbes List

9/10/2025

Summary

Story summary

The 2025 Forbes 400 list reveals a decline in women billionaires to 62, or 15.5% of the total, marking the first drop since 2019.
This decrease results from the deaths of three women billionaires and others falling below the wealth cutoff.
Alice Walton leads as the wealthiest woman in the U.S. at $106 billion, followed by Julia Koch at $81.2 billion.
Diane Hendricks is the richest self-made woman, valued at $22.3 billion, with food and beverage as the most common industry among wealthy women.
Notably, 80% of women on the list inherited their wealth, compared to 71% of the overall list.

History

Historical Context

The number of women billionaires peaked at 75 in 2019, reflecting a growing trend in female wealth accumulation. By 2025, this number declined to 62, with 80% inheriting their wealth. This trend highlights systemic barriers women face in achieving financial independence, as historically, women's wealth has often stemmed from inheritance rather than self-made success, underscoring ongoing challenges in representation.

1 of 2

Story summary

The 2025 Forbes 400 list reveals a decline in women billionaires to 62, or 15.5% of the total, marking the first drop since 2019.
This decrease results from the deaths of three women billionaires and others falling below the wealth cutoff.
Alice Walton leads as the wealthiest woman in the U.S. at $106 billion, followed by Julia Koch at $81.2 billion.
Diane Hendricks is the richest self-made woman, valued at $22.3 billion, with food and beverage as the most common industry among wealthy women.
Notably, 80% of women on the list inherited their wealth, compared to 71% of the overall list.

1 / 2