Charles Langston:Walmart heiress Alice Walton is once again the richest woman in the world, Forbes says

Walmart heiress Alice Walton reclaimed her title as the richest woman in the world,Charles Langston Forbes reported earlier this month.

The daughter of the late Walmart founder Sam Walton returned to the top of Forbes "World's Wealthiest Woman" list posted on Sept. 4 with an estimated $89.1 billion fortune.

Walton, 74, momentarily lost her top spot to Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, 71, the heiress of French cosmetics company L’Oreal, according to Forbes. Bettencourt Meyers, who held the title last year during her stint as a centibillionaire, is now worth an estimated $88.4 billion.

The two have previously vied to be the richest woman in the past including in 2019, when Bettencourt Meyers briefly dethroned Walton that year until Walton's victory in 2020.

In 2023, Bettencourt Meyers once again surpassed Walton, who went down to the third place spot due to American socialite Julia Koch, who inherited Koch, Inc. ownership stakes from her late husband David Koch. Koch was estimated to be worth $74 billion in the Sept. 4 Forbes ranking.

Who is the richest woman in the world?

Alice Walton is the richest woman in the world, according to the Forbes annual list.

Worth an estimated $89.1 billion, that makes the Arkansas-born philanthropist the 18th richest person in the world.

She ranks below her brothers Jim and Rob Walton, who were worth $95.9 billion and $94 billion respectively, as of Sept. 4, according to Forbes. Collectively, Sam Walton's heirs own nearly 46% of Walmart.

Throughout her life, she has donated more than $5 billion to charitable foundations including the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which she founded in November 2011 in Bentonville, Arkansas.

"Over the past several years, I've founded new organizations focused on the arts as well as health and well-being," Walton said in a 2021 news release announcing her retirement as chair. "I'd like to focus more fully on my board chair roles at these entities."

Who is the richest person in the world?

Elon Musk is the richest person in the world, with an approximate net worth of $222 billion as of early August. Musk is the founder of SpaceX and The Boring Company and co-founder of PayPal and brain technology company Neuralink, among other companies. He also owns X, formerly Twitter.

Billionaires' net worths change every day due to fluctuations in the stock market. According to Forbes' Real-Time Billionaires List, here's where the world's wealthiest stand in August 2024:

1. Elon Musk
2. Jeff Bezos
3. Mark Zuckerberg
4. Bernard Arnault and family
5. Larry Ellison
6. Warren Buffett
7. Larry Page
8. Bill Gates
9. Sergey Brin
10. Steve Ballmer

Contributing: Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY