F rançoise Bettencourt Meyers is a French billionaire heiress who is the richest woman in the world. She is the granddaughter of Eugène Schueller, the founder of the global cosmetics and beauty giant L'Oréal. She and her family are the primary shareholders of the company, which owns a vast portfolio of iconic brands including L'Oréal Paris, Maybelline, and Lancôme.
Upon the death of her mother, the famous socialite Liliane Bettencourt, in 2017, Françoise inherited the family's massive fortune. Their relationship was famously difficult and was the subject of a high-profile legal and political scandal in France. Unlike her mother, Françoise is known for being intensely private and academic. She serves as the chairwoman of the family's holding company, Téthys Invest, which manages the family's stake in L'Oréal and their other investments. She is also the president of the family's philanthropic foundation and is an author who has written books on the Bible and Greek mythology.
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