Liliane Bettencourt was a French heiress, socialite and businesswoman. She was one of the principal shareholders of L’Oréal, the world’s largest cosmetics and beauty company.
One thing that is common among the richest people in the world is that they come up with an extraordinary idea or a product that everyone likes. Well, in her case, she was just born with it. As of the 2014 Forbes report, Liliane had a net worth north of $44 billion.
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Net Worth
As of 2024, Liliane Bettencourt was worth $49.7 billion (based on her stake in L’Oréal). Bettencourt inherited all of her wealth from her father, Eugène Schueller, who founded L’Oréal and whom she also worked for. She died in 2017, but her family still owns L’Oréal and other investments.
Biography
Here’s a Table of Glimpse summarizing key details about Liliane Bettencourt:
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Net Worth | $49.7 billion (as of 2017), primarily from her stake in L’Oréal. |
| Birth Date | October 21, 1922, in Paris, France. |
| Age | Passed away on September 21, 2017, at the age of 94. |
| House/Real Estate | Featured in documentaries, including “L’Oréal’s Billionaire Heiress,” due to her wealth and family disputes. |
| Husband | Married to André Bettencourt (1950–2007), a French politician. |
| Children | One daughter, Frédérique Bettencourt-Meyers, who inherited her fortune. |
| L’Oréal Legacy | Major shareholder in L’Oréal, the world’s leading cosmetics company founded by her father. |
| Fortune | Her fortune stemmed from her stake in L’Oréal and investments in various industries. |
| Documentary | Featured in documentaries, including “L’Oréal’s Billionaire Heiress” due to her wealth and family disputes. |
| Philanthropy | Contributed to scientific and cultural initiatives through the L’Oréal Foundation. |
This table provides a concise overview of Liliane Bettencourt’s wealth, family, legacy, and key life details.
Liliane Henriette Charlotte Schueller was born on October 21, 1922, in Paris, France. She is the only child of Eugène Schueller—a French chemist, pharmacist and entrepreneur who launched L’Oréal in 1909. Liliane Bettencourt inherited ownership of the company upon her father’s death in 1957 and eventually became one of the richest women in the world.
Liliane married French politician André Bettencourt in 1950, and together they had one daughter, Frédérique. Besides Liliane’s work at L’Oréal throughout her life, she also gained renown for her philanthropy and role in French society. Her fortune led to a number of legal battles as different factions argued over how it was being handled.
House and Real Estate
Liliane Bettencourt owned a number of luxury homes, but one certainly stood out. Her Paris mansion was as much a symbol of her status as anything else. She also acquired real estate outside of France, such as a château in Normandy.
- Paris Mansion: Liliane Bettencourt’s opulent mansion in the eighth arrondissement of Paris, where dignitaries and the crème de la crème would gather.
Husband and Family
- Liliane Bettencourt wed André Bettencourt in 1950. André was a French politician who held numerous government posts during his lifetime. The couple welcomed one daughter together, Frédérique Bettencourt-Meyers, who went on to become the primary benefactor of Liliane’s fortune.
- Upon her husband’s death in 2007, Bettencourt found herself at the center of a series of legal battles with her daughter, Frédérique. Lawsuits focused on claims of irregularities regarding how Bettencourt’s fortune was being managed and allegations of financial exploitation brought by photographer François-Marie Banier. In later years, Bettencourt suffered from declining health. She died in 2017 at the age of 94.
- Fortune was synonymous with the company Bettencourt’s father founded. As L’Oréal’s biggest stakeholder, she owned a one-third share of that global cosmetics empire, which made her one of the world’s richest women, but she had holdings in pharma, real estate and fashion, too.
- Under her, L’Oréal went on to become the largest cosmetics and beauty company in the world as they kept adding several brands under their umbrella, like Lancôme, Kiehl’s, The Body Shop and Garnier, to name a few. Bettencourt was also instrumental with L’Oréal’s philanthropic efforts by helping grow the business and raising significant funds for the L’Oréal Foundation, which is aimed at funding research in dermatology and promoting women in science.
Documentary and Media Appearances
Liliane Bettencourt’s wealth and life made her a media curiosity, particularly after the legal and familial wrangles over her fortune became known. In 2010, a documentary called L’Oréal’s Billionaire Heiress looked at Bettencourt’s early years and the controversies that followed her.
But one incident that did attract attention was the court case brought by Bettencourt against photographer François-Marie Banier, which highlighted the heiress’s fraught relationship with money, family and her company.
FAQs
What is her net worth?
Liliane Bettencourt’s net worth was $44.7 billion at the time of her death, according to Forbes.
