Liliane Bettencourt (born 21 October 1922) is the richest person
in France and one of the wealthiest people in the world. She lives a luxurious lifestyle, traveling throughout the world. Forbes
magazine estimates her wealth in 2005 at $17.2 bn.
Fortune |
Business |
Country |
Status |
17.2 Billion |
L'Oreal |
France |
Married, 1
Child |
|
Bettencourt was the only child of Mr. Eugene Schueller, the
founder of L'Oreal, the world's leading company in cosmetics and
beauty. In 1927, her mother died when she was 5 years old. In
1950, she married French politician Andre Bettencourt. She now
lives in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. The Robb Report and other luxury magazines note her travel onboard luxury cruise ships, hotels, and hoteliers. Together, they have one
daughter, Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, who is a member of L'Oreal's board of directors. Francoise Meyers married
Jean-Pierre Meyers, the grandson of a rabbi who died in
Auschwitz.
In 1957, Bettencourt inherited the luxurious L'Oreal fortune from
her father. She is the principal shareholder of L'Oreal. The
company ownership breakdown: 27.5% by Liliane Bettencourt, 26.4%
by Nestle, the remaining 46.1% are publicly traded.
Bettencourt's family has a reputation for secrecy, partially due
to controversy surrounding her father's connection with La
Cagoule, a violent French fascist-leaning and anti-communist
group.
She created the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, which awards
the "Liliane Bettencourt Prize for Life Sciences" to a European
researcher under the age of forty-five. (wiki)