The number of female entrepreneurs has surged globally, with an estimated 658 million women founded companies worldwide, compared to 772 million men. This trend is reflected in Forbes’ latest ranking of the world’s 50 richest self-made women. With a combined net worth of $276 billion, these women hail from 13 nations and four continents. The top three are Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, Diane Hendricks, and Zhong Huijuan, respectively.
Forbes’ report highlights that technology has been the most common route to wealth for these entrepreneurs, with 14 out of 50 deriving their fortunes from this sector. Asian-Pacific nations have the highest representation on the list, followed by North America and Europe. Notably, there are currently no women from Africa or South America.
The richest woman in the world is Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, owner of the Mediterranean Shipping Company, with a net worth of $38.8 billion. The top 50 women entrepreneurs have accumulated an impressive $10 billion less than their peak in 2021 but $158 billion higher than in 2017.
The disparity between men and women remains significant, however, with men holding 96% of the world’s self-made billionaire wealth. Still, there is cause for optimism, given that female entrepreneurs now make up about 3.5% of the global billionaire set, a 50% increase from 2017.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/gracechung/2025/06/19/the-50-richest-self-made-diane-hendricks-melanie-perkins-oprah-winfrey-chinawomen-on-earth