In this article, we will be looking at the top 20 youngest richest women in the world. To skip our detailed analysis, head directly to see the Top5 Youngest Richest Women in the World.
Young Women Entrepreneurs
Women entrepreneurs have come a long way in making their way to the top and starting their own businesses. According to the 2023 Women & Minority Business Owner Spotlight report, surveyed between August 10, 2023, and August 27, 2023, by the Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC), women business owners have a positive business outlook, though they are a little less optimistic compared to their male counterparts. Almost 53% of women business owners expect an increase in their revenue by August 2024, compared to 70% of men business owners. Around 45% of women and 46% of men business owners plan to expand their business, while 74% of women and 80% of men business owners plan to obtain funding.
Although women entrepreneurs have achieved a great deal, 31% of them believe they will never have access to capital. On the other side, 51% of women business owners believe that they currently have equal access to capital. The women entrepreneurs pessimistic about gaining access to capital suspect that they do not have the proper information or qualifications to apply for capital. Around 42%, out of the 31% of women business owners, feel they do not have a proper relationship with lenders.
Despite the gender gap, women entrepreneurs are thriving, and in recent years, there has been a notable increase in empowering women entrepreneurs. Almost 18% of women entrepreneurs are positive that they will be able to achieve capital in the future. On average, women business owners feel they will have complete access to capital by 2037.
According to the GEM’s Women Entrepreneurship Report 2023, one in six women worldwide plan to initiate a new business in the near future, compared to one in five men. Women from low-income countries had higher entrepreneurial intentions, while they were lowest in high-income countries. One in three women reported to have entrepreneurial intentions from Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. In lower and middle-income countries, women are more likely to innovate new products and services. Most of the innovative women entrepreneurs belong to Togo, Indonesia, Romania, Colombia, and Iran, reported at around 58.7%, 55.3%, 54.4%, 53.3%, and 52%, respectively. Whereas, 43.1% of women entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean and 41.3% in Europe are working in international markets.
In 2022, around 48.6% of women are involved in the wholesale and retail sector compared to 40.1% of men. Almost 17.6% of women serve in Government, Health, Education, and Social Services sectors compared to 10.9% of men. These two sectors combined comprise nearly two-thirds of women entrepreneurs compared to one-half of men. According to Fortune, women run only 7% of Fortune 500 Europe companies and 10.4% of women run Fortune 500 global companies. Women executives tend to have a shorter tenure compared to their male counterparts. Male Fortune 500 CEOs ran their companies for an average of 7.2 years, while the average tenure for women CEOs was around 4.5 years, as of 2023.
As we mentioned in our article about the top 25 richest women in the world in 2024, women represent 11% of the world’s Ultra-High-Net-Worth-Individuals (UHNWIs). It is not a large share, however, this shows a swift growth from just under 8% less than a decade ago. Most of the youngest richest women in the world are self-made female billionaires under 50.
Young Women Billionaires and Their Companies
RATIONAL AG (ETR:RAA), WEG S.A. (OTC:WEGZY), and Fenty Beauty are some of the leading companies owned by young female billionaires.
RATIONAL AG (ETR:RAA) is one of the leading kitchen equipment manufacturers and retailers that operates in the commercial and industrial segment of thermal food preparation. Female billionaire Franziska Wuerbser is one of four family heirs who inherited a 63% stake in RATIONAL AG (ETR:RAA). On February 27, RATIONAL AG (ETR:RAA) announced that it has introduced a new product line iHexagon, pioneering the steam, hot air, and microwave technology. Through this new technology, RATIONAL AG’s (ETR:RAA) steam, hot air, and microwave will have the ability to process food in a limited time, evenly across all racks in the 6-1/1 unit. Here is what the company’s Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Markus Paschmann, said:
“With the iHexagon, we are the first on the market to succeed in combining hot air, steam and microwave heat in the cooking cabinet so intelligently that the energy is distributed evenly across all six racks."
WEG S.A. (OTC:WEGZY) is a leading automotive company and one of the most valuable companies in Latin America. Anne Marie Werninghaus, who is a major individual shareholder of WEG S.A. (OTC:WEGZY), is one of the richest women in Latin America. On March 21, the company announced that one of its clients from the renewable energy sector in Brazil has chosen WEG S.A.’s (OTC:WEGZY) 2 MW WEG turbogenerator sets. The Brazilian renewable energy group will use a 2 MW WEG turbogenerator to overcome the challenges currently faced by the energy sector in the region.
Fenty Beauty is a cosmetics brand created by famous singer Rihanna. Fenty Beauty has the backing of the famous French luxury brand LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (EPA:MC). The ties between Rihanna and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (EPA:MC) have helped Fenty Beauty become a billion-dollar brand. Rihanna also has a 30% stake in the Savage x Fenty lingerie line, which is co-owned by LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (EPA:MC). On January 25, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (EPA:MC) reported its full-year 2023 results, with another record year and a total revenue of 86.2 billion euros. Fenty Beauty posted robust growth during 2023, driven mainly by one of its latest innovations in mascara.
With this context, let’s take a look at the top 20 youngest richest women in the world.
Top 20 Youngest Richest Women in the World
Top 20 Youngest Richest Women in the World
Our Methodology
To compile our list of the top 20 youngest richest women in the world, we gathered data from the Forbes Real-time Billionaire List. We shortlisted the top 20 youngest richest women based on their age. We sorted the list using two filters on the Forbes Real-time Billionaire Index including youngest and women. The list is ranked in descending order of the age of each woman. The women with similar ages are ranked based on their net worth. The data for net worth is updated as of March 23.
Top 20 Youngest Richest Women in the World
20. Cristina Junqueira
Age: 41
Net Worth: $1.6 Billion
Cristina Junqueira co-founded Nubank, one of the most valuable digital banks in the world. Junqueira became a billionaire following the IPO of Nubank on the New York Stock Exchange as Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NU) in December 2021. Cristina Junqueira has a 3% stake in Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NU) and ranks among the top 20 youngest richest women in the world.
19. Lynsi Snyder
Age: 41
Net Worth: $6.7 Billion
Lynsi Snyder became a billionaire in 2017 after receiving the final portion of her inheritance from West Coast chain In-N-Out Burger. Snyder became the company's president in 2010 and has since expanded the In-N-Out branches across 150 locations. Lynsi Snyder ranks 19th among the youngest and richest women in the world.
18. Friederike Braun-Luedicke
Age: 40
Net Worth: $1.7 Billion
Friederike Braun-Luedicke has a 12% srake in German medical device maker B. Braun Melsungen. Friederike works as a Manager in Personnel and Organizational Development for B. Braun Melsungen. Friederike Braun-Luedicke ranks among the top 20 youngest richest women in the world.
17. Caroline Hagen Kjos
Age: 40
Net Worth: $2.3 Billion
Caroline Hagen Kjos inherited a majority stake in her family’s Canica AS holding company. Kjos became chairman of the company in 2014. Caroline Hagen Kjos has investments across Scandinavia, including Orkla ASA (OTCMKTS:ORKLY) and hardware store chain Jernia.
16. Agnete Kirk Thinggaard
Age: 40
Net Worth: $6.5 Billion
Agnete Kirk Thinggaard along with her father, brother, and sister has a 75% stake in toy firm Lego. Thinggaard is the fourth-generation owner of the toy company. Agnete Kirk Thinggaard sat on Lego’s board until 2020 and ranks among the top 20 youngest richest women in the world.
15. Qu Miranda
Age: 39
Net Worth: $1.3 Billion
In 2023, Qu Miranda co-founded the Shanghai-based social and e-commerce platform Xiaohongshu. Miranda along with her co-founder Charlwin Mao have an equal stake of 10% in the company. Qu Miranda serves the company as the president and ranks 15th among the youngest richest women in the world.
14. Ipek Kirac
Age: 39
Net Worth: $3.4 Billion
Ipek Kirac is heir to one of the Türkiye’s largest conglomerates, Koc Holding AS (IST:KCHOL). In 2016, Kirac joined the company’s board. With a net worth of $3.4 billion, Ipek Kirac ranks among the top 20 youngest richest women in the world.
13. Anne Werninghaus
Age: 38
Net Worth: $1.2 Billion
Anne Werninghaus is a major individual shareholder of WEG S.A. (OTC:WEGZY). Anne Werninghaus has a net worth of around $1.2 billion and ranks among the richest women in the world under 40.
12. Hope Welker
Age: 38
Net Worth: $2 Billion
Hope Welker is the third child of Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart. Welker, along with her three siblings, is the beneficiary of a trust that owns a major stake in mining giant Hancock Prospecting. Hope Welker ranks 12th among the youngest richest women in the world.
11. Lu Yiwen
Age: 37
Net Worth: $1.2 Billion
Lu Yiwen is one of the youngest female billionaires in the world with a net worth of around $1.2 billion. Lu Yimen co-founded the jewellery supplier DR Corporation Limited (SHE:301177).
10. Eva Maria Braun-Luedicke
Age: 37
Net Worth: $1.7 Billion
Eva Maria Braun-Luedicke works as a Communications Manager for B. Braun Melsungen and owns a 12% stake in the company. With a net worth of $1.7 billion, Eva Maria Braun-Luedicke ranks 10th among the youngest richest women in the world.
9. Ginia Rinehart
Age: 37
Net Worth: $2 Billion
Ginia Rinehart is the youngest child of Gina Rinehart. Ginia Rinehart has a degree in business, majoring in Spanish. With a net worth of around $2 billion, Ginia Rinehart ranks among the top 20 youngest richest women in the world.
8. Rihanna
Age: 36
Net Worth: $1.4 Billion
Rihanna is one of the richest singers in the world with a net worth of around $1.4 billion. Rihanna owns the cosmetics line Fenty Beauty and has a 30% stake in the Savage x Fenty lingerie line.
7. Franziska Wuerbser
Age: 36
Net Worth: $1.7 Billion
Franziska Wuerbser is one of the four family heirs who inherited a 63% stake in kitchen appliance manufacturer RATIONAL AG (ETR:RAA). Franziska Wuerbser has a net worth of around $1.7 billion.
6. Melanie Perkins
Age: 36
Net Worth: $4.4 Billion
Melanie Perkins ranks sixth among the youngest richest women in the world. In 2023, Perkins co-founded Canva and serves the company as CEO. Melanie Perkins has an 18% stake in Canva and has a net worth of around $4.4 billion.
