While modern heiresses like Alice Walton hold immense fortunes, the title of the richest "girl" (woman) in history often goes to figures like Empress Wu Zetian (China, Tang Dynasty) or Catherine the Great (Russia), whose control over entire empires, massive GDP shares, and vast resources translated to unparalleled wealth, potentially trillions in today's money, far surpassing modern billionaires.
Ruling over ancient Egypt between 51 BC and 30 BC, the Queen of the Nile had a fortune at her fingertips. As outlined in the 2011 biography Cleopatra: a Life, the iconic ruler's estimated net worth amounted to the modern-day equivalent of $95.8 billion, which is around $135 billion (£99.7bn) in 2025 money.
Forbes' latest list of America's Richest Women Celebrities features Oprah Winfrey at the top with a net worth of $3.1 billion, followed by Kim Kardashian at $1.7 billion and Taylor Swift at $1.6 billion.
The richest woman of all is Walmart heir Alice Walton, whose fortune stands at an estimated $101 billion. She reclaims the title from French L'Oréal heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, who now ranks second, at $81.6 billion.
Yes, Kim Kardashian is generally considered richer than Taylor Swift, though both are billionaires, with Kardashian often leading due to her successful businesses like SKIMS, while Swift's wealth comes from music, tours (like The Eras Tour), and films. Recent reports (late 2025) place Kardashian's net worth around $1.9 billion, slightly ahead of Swift's $1.6 billion, though these figures fluctuate.
By 2035, some predict there will be at least five trillionaires in the world, but no one has reached that yet. A trillionaire is someone who has accumulated a net worth of at least one trillion of their local currency.
Based on Forbes, American singer Taylor Swift is the wealthiest female musician, with a net worth of US$1.6 billion as of 2024. Barbadian singer Rihanna became the first female musician to attain a billionaire status in 2021, with a net worth of $1.7 billion at that time.
Steven Spielberg leads the group with a net worth of $5.3 billion at age 78, benefitting from a unique deal entitling him to 2% of Universal theme park ticket sales and massive earnings from classics.
Richest family in the world - The Saudi royal family, known as the House of Saud, is the wealthiest royal family in the world with a net worth of approximately $1.4 trillion.
Oprah Winfrey - $3.1 billion 2. Kim Kardashian - $1.7 billion 3. Taylor Swift - $1.6 billion 4. Rihanna - $1.4 billion 5.
The legendary beauty of Queen Cleopatra was said to have been enhanced by a captivating, all-encompassing fragrance of myrrh, cinnamon, and other exotic substances. She made sure her first meeting with the Roman general Marc Antony would be unforgettable.
Diane Hendricks tops the list as the richest self-made woman in America, turning ABC Supply into a roofing powerhouse through decades of smart, private growth.
At just 19 years old, Brazilian student Livia Voigt has been named the youngest billionaire on the Forbes Billionaires List 2024, with a net worth of $1.1 billion. She is the largest individual shareholder of WEG, one of Latin America's biggest electrical motor manufacturers, a company co-founded by her grandfather.
Kylie Jenner was once the top spot on this list, but Selena Gomez has now surpassed her on the rich list for the first time. Selena lands at number 3, but two men take the number 1 and 2 spot.
Top 10 Richest Musicians and Their Net Worth
Yes, Taylor Swift is currently estimated to be richer than Beyoncé, with Forbes reporting Swift's net worth at approximately $1.6 billion in late 2024/early 2025, largely from her Eras Tour and music catalog, while Beyoncé's net worth is estimated around $700-$800 million, though she recently crossed the billionaire threshold. Swift became the first musician to reach billionaire status solely from her music and performances, surpassing Beyoncé's wealth.
The megastar is only the fifth musician to make the Forbes billionaires list, where she reigns with her husband Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Bruce Springsteen. Forbes reported Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour was the highest-grossing of 2025, raking in $400 million in ticket sales, and another $50 million in merch.
The world's 10 richest families
As of late 2024 and into 2025, Elon Musk became the first person to surpass a $400 billion net worth, primarily driven by the rising values of SpaceX and Tesla and his AI venture xAI. While fluctuations occur, he consistently ranks as the world's richest person, with figures showing his wealth significantly exceeding other billionaires like Jeff Bezos.
Well, here's a lineup of possibilities that would barely dent that mountain of cash.