Koch vs Bettencourt Meyers

Koch, Inc. and L'Oréal.

The differences

Forbes puts Françoise Bettencourt Meyers about $13.8B ahead of Charles Koch.Forbes figures from 7 Oct 2026 and 14 Oct 2026.
Charles Koch: inherited and grew it. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers: inherited it.
Charles Koch is about 18 years older than Françoise Bettencourt Meyers.
Charles Koch is from United States; Françoise Bettencourt Meyers is from France.

Put someone else on either side

Koch

Bettencourt Meyers

Net worth, Forbes: $76.9BForbes, 14 Oct 2026; $90.7BForbes, 7 Oct 2026
Net worth, Bloomberg: $70.5BBloomberg, 10 Oct 2026; $99.2BBloomberg, 16 Oct 2026
Forbes rank: No. 28Real-Time list, 14 Oct 2026; No. 21Real-Time list, 7 Oct 2026
Billionaire since: Not stated; 2018First on a Forbes World's Billionaires list in 2018, its 'richest newcomer' at $42.2 billion, after her mother died in 2017

How it started: Inherited and grew itHis father Fred Koch started the family business in 1940; Charles joined in 1961, became chairman and CEO in 1967 and grew it into a diversified group; in 1983 he and his brother David bought out two siblings; Inherited itInherited the family's L'Oréal stake when her mother Liliane Bettencourt died in 2017; L'Oréal was founded by her grandfather Eugène Schueller
Main source: Koch, Inc. (Koch Industries), a private conglomerateForbes: pipelines, chemicals, software, automotive components and Dixie cups, some $125 billion in revenue; The family's L'Oréal stakeBloomberg: 'The majority of Francoise Bettencourt Meyers' fortune stems from her stake in L'Oreal'
Companies: Koch, Inc.Koch, Inc.: Chairman and co-CEO; L'OréalL'Oréal: Largest shareholder through the family holding Téthys, which she chairs; L'Oréal director 1997-2025 and vice-chair from 2020
Biggest stake: Koch, Inc.38% owned; L'Oréal34.79% owned

Born: 1 Nov 1935Wichita, Kansas, United States; 1953
Country: United StatesLives in Wichita, Kansas, United States; FranceLives in Paris, France
Education: Graduate degreeBS in general engineering (1957), MS in nuclear engineering (1958) and MS in chemical engineering (1959), MIT; Not stated
Parents: Father Fred C. Koch was an MIT-trained engineer who developed an oil-refining process and ran refining, engineering and ranching businesses; mother Mary's occupation not statedHis biography calls his upbringing 'comfortable'; Daughter of André and Liliane Bettencourt; her mother was the L'Oréal heiress and her grandfather Eugène Schueller founded L'OréalHer father's occupation is not stated

Giving Pledge: Not a signer; Not a signer
Foundation: Stand TogetherFounded in 2003 and the hub of his philanthropy; he also founded the Charles Koch Foundation; Fondation Bettencourt SchuellerShe is its founder and president
Lifetime giving: $1.8BForbes, 10 Oct 2023. Forbes' estimate of lifetime giving, excluding amounts not yet distributed; Not stated

Role now: Runs the companyChairman and co-CEO of Koch, Inc.; Chair of the boardChair of Téthys, the family holding company that is L'Oréal's largest shareholder; president of Fondation Bettencourt Schueller
Successor: None namedDave Robertson became co-CEO alongside him in 2023; his son Chase Koch is executive vice president for origination and partnerships; Her sons sit on L'Oréal's board: Jean-Victor Meyers (director since 2012, vice-chairman since 2025) and Nicolas Meyers (director since 2020)
Public office: None found; None found
Legal record: None found; None found