Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, the French heiress to the L’Oréal fortune, has seen her wealth climb to $93.8 billion, placing her 20th on Forbes’ list of the world’s richest people as of July 31, 2025.
The gain, a $4.2 billion increase, in a single day reflects rising optimism about the global beauty market and fresh momentum for L’Oréal shares.
Bettencourt Meyers, 71, is the granddaughter of L’Oréal founder Eugène Schueller and, along with her family, owns more than a third of the publicly traded cosmetics giant.
She has been on L’Oréal’s board since 1997 but announced earlier this year that she will step down in 2025, marking the end of a nearly three-decade run as a key decision-maker.
Her fortune has grown alongside L’Oréal’s stock, which recently received a rating upgrade from JPMorgan.
The investment bank raised the company’s outlook from “Underweight” to “Neutral” while significantly increasing its price target to €360 from €290. Analysts cited improving conditions in the U.S. beauty market and confidence from L’Oréal management that the global beauty sector should grow about 4 percent in fiscal 2025, with a stronger second half.
About the company
According to InvestingPro, L’Oréal boasts a gross profit margin of 74.2 percent and a “GREAT” financial health score. The company has also rewarded shareholders with 34 consecutive years of dividend payments, including nearly 20% dividend growth in the past year. JPMorgan lifted its second-half growth forecast for the company to 4.7 % from 4.0 percent, though it noted that L’Oréal continues to trade at a premium valuation.
Even as JPMorgan turned more optimistic, Barclays recently downgraded L’Oréal to “Underweight,” citing concerns that its beauty market outperformance had slowed to just 1.1 times, below historical averages. Still, RBC Capital Markets has named the firm one of its top consumer staples picks, placing it alongside global giants such as AB InBev.
What to know
In a bid to strengthen its Luxe portfolio, L’Oréal also announced plans to acquire a majority stake in British skincare brand Medik8, a company praised for its proven efficacy and mid-market accessibility. Reports say the move reflects L’Oréal’s push to capture growing demand in premium skincare.
For Bettencourt Meyers, the corporate developments come as she prepares to step back from the boardroom. She inherited her role as L’Oréal’s leading heiress in 2017 after the death of her mother, Liliane Bettencourt, then the world’s richest woman. She also serves as president of her family’s philanthropic foundation, which focuses on advancing science and the arts. In 2019, the family and L’Oréal jointly pledged $226 million to restore Notre Dame Cathedral after its devastating fire.
