Bettencourt Meyers vs Koch

L'Oréal and Koch, Inc..

The differences

Forbes puts Françoise Bettencourt Meyers about $6.1B ahead of Julia Koch.Forbes figures from 7 Oct 2026 and 22 Sep 2026.
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers: inherited it. Julia Koch: through marriage.
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers is about 10 years older than Julia Koch.
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers is from France; Julia Koch is from United States.

Put someone else on either side

Bettencourt Meyers

Koch

Net worth, Forbes: $90.7BForbes, 7 Oct 2026; $84.6BForbes, 22 Sep 2026
Net worth, Bloomberg: $99.2BBloomberg, 16 Oct 2026; $78.5BBloomberg, 10 Oct 2026
Forbes rank: No. 21Real-Time list, 7 Oct 2026; No. 24Real-Time list, 22 Sep 2026
Billionaire since: 2018First on a Forbes World's Billionaires list in 2018, its 'richest newcomer' at $42.2 billion, after her mother died in 2017; 2020Forbes named her the richest newcomer on its 2020 World's Billionaires list, at $38.2 billion, after David Koch died in 2019

How it started: 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; Through marriageShe and her three children inherited the 42% Koch stake of her husband David Koch, who died in 2019; they married in 1996
Main source: The family's L'Oréal stakeBloomberg: 'The majority of Francoise Bettencourt Meyers' fortune stems from her stake in L'Oreal'; The family's inherited stake in Koch, Inc.Koch says it has diversified from energy into consumer, technology, communications, healthcare and real estate
Companies: L'OréalL'Oréal: Largest shareholder through the family holding Téthys, which she chairs; L'Oréal director 1997-2025 and vice-chair from 2020; Koch, Inc.Koch, Inc.: Board member
Biggest stake: L'Oréal34.79% owned; Koch, Inc.42% owned

Born: 1953; 1963Iowa, United States
Country: FranceLives in Paris, France; United StatesLives in New York City, United States
Education: Not stated; Bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree, University of Central Arkansas
Parents: 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; Her family ran Flesher's, a used-furniture shop in Indianola, Iowa, where her father Frederic worked

Giving Pledge: Not a signer; Not a signer
Foundation: Fondation Bettencourt SchuellerShe is its founder and president; Julia Koch Family FoundationFounded in 2023 with her children; she is also president of the David H. Koch Foundation
Lifetime giving: Not stated; $1.3BJulia Koch Family Foundation, 17 Oct 2026. 'More than $1.3 billion' given by David and Julia Koch together, through the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation and personal giving; a joint figure, not hers alone. Date is when the page was read

Role now: Chair of the boardChair of Téthys, the family holding company that is L'Oréal's largest shareholder; president of Fondation Bettencourt Schueller; On the boardDirector of Koch, Inc.; chair of the Julia Koch Family Foundation and president of the David H. Koch Foundation
Successor: Her sons sit on L'Oréal's board: Jean-Victor Meyers (director since 2012, vice-chairman since 2025) and Nicolas Meyers (director since 2020); No member of her family is named in a Koch executive role in the cited sources; Charles Koch is chairman and co-CEO with Dave RobertsonChase Koch is an executive vice president of Koch
Public office: None found; None found
Legal record: None found; None found