15 Richest Women in America in 2026, According to Forbes

The names on America's wealthiest women's list are closely tied to some of the country's best-known companies. Walmart appears several times, as do Koch, Mars, Fidelity and other businesses that have been built over decades. The 2026 Forbes 400 includes 62 women, with Alice Walton holding the largest fortune by a wide margin. She is worth an estimated $118 billion, while Julia Koch follows at $84.6 billion. Jacqueline Mars is next with about $50.3 billion. These figures give a sense of the scale behind the richest women in America.

1. Alice Walton

Alice Walton remains at the top of the list for another year. The only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, she has an estimated fortune of $118 billion and is the only woman on the 2026 Forbes 400 with more than $100 billion.

Walton's interests have taken her well beyond retail. She spent only a short period working at Walmart before turning much of her attention to art. Her best-known project is Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. She has also invested heavily in healthcare and education, including the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine. Forbes says she has been America's richest woman for 11 of the past 12 years.

2. Julia Koch

Julia Koch and her three children inherited a 42% stake in Koch, Inc. after the death of her husband, David Koch. Her estimated fortune is $84.6 billion.

Koch has also developed interests outside the family's industrial business. She serves on the boards of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her family has acquired stakes in sports businesses as well, including the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty and New York Giants.

3. Jacqueline Mars

Jacqueline Mars has spent much of her life connected to the company that carries her family name. She owns roughly one-third of Mars, the privately held business that grew from a confectionery company into a much broader food and pet-care operation.

Her estimated fortune of $50.3 billion places her among the most wealthy members of the Mars family and makes her one of the most prominent names on the Forbes list.

4. Abigail Johnson

Abigail Johnson's fortune is closely connected to Fidelity Investments, the financial services company founded by her grandfather, Edward C. Johnson II.

She has been with Fidelity for decades and became chairman and CEO in 2014. With an estimated fortune of $41.6 billion, Johnson is one of the wealthiest women in finance. Her story is also unusual among the richest women in the United States because she has remained actively involved in the company behind her wealth.

5. Marilyn Simons

Marilyn Simons inherited much of her wealth through her late husband, James Simons, the mathematician who founded Renaissance Technologies.

The firm became famous for applying mathematical models and quantitative methods to investing. Simons' estimated fortune is $36.6 billion, putting her among the largest female fortunes in the country.

6. Melinda French Gates

Melinda French Gates has an estimated fortune of $34.6 billion, much of it connected to Microsoft.

Her career at Microsoft began in the late 1980s, but philanthropy has since become a much larger part of her public work. She established Pivotal Ventures, which focuses on areas including women's economic participation and social change. Her wealth puts her firmly among the wealthiest women in America, although her work today extends far beyond the company that helped create her fortune.

7. Miriam Adelson

Miriam Adelson's fortune is linked to Las Vegas Sands, the casino and resort company built by her late husband, Sheldon Adelson.

She inherited her stake following his death in 2021. Forbes estimates her fortune at $33.5 billion. Alongside her business interests, Adelson has been involved in medical research and philanthropy, particularly through organizations connected to addiction treatment.

8. Elaine Marshall

Elaine Marshall is another name connected to Koch, Inc. Her family holds a significant interest in the company, giving her an estimated fortune of $32.2 billion.

She has generally kept a lower public profile than many of the other women on this list. Her position is nevertheless significant. The Koch family fortune has created several billionaire-level fortunes, and Marshall is one of the women who holds a substantial share.

9. Lyndal Stephens Greth

Lyndal Stephens Greth's fortune comes from the American oil and gas industry. Her father, Autry Stephens, founded Endeavor Energy Resources, which became one of the largest privately held oil producers in the United States.

Endeavor was sold to Diamondback Energy in 2024 for about $26 billion. Forbes now estimates Greth's fortune at roughly $30 billion. Her wealth is a reminder of how valuable long-held private energy businesses became during the shale boom.

10. MacKenzie Scott

MacKenzie Scott's fortune began with Amazon. She received a significant stake in the company as part of her divorce settlement with Jeff Bezos.

Since then, Scott has become known for giving away large amounts of her wealth. Her philanthropic approach has included direct grants to organizations working in education, health, economic opportunity and other areas. Her estimated fortune is around $27.9 billion.

11. Christy Walton

Christy Walton is another member of the Walton family to appear among the richest American women. She inherited her Walmart stake through her late husband, John Walton.

She has maintained a relatively private public profile compared with Alice Walton, while continuing to hold substantial wealth connected to Walmart. Her estimated fortune is around $22 billion.

12. Diane Hendricks

Diane Hendricks took a different route to the billionaire ranks. She co-founded ABC Supply with her late husband, Ken Hendricks, in 1982.

The company grew into one of America's largest distributors of roofing, siding, windows and other building products. Forbes estimates Hendricks' fortune at $23.6 billion and identifies her as the richest self-made woman on the 2026 Forbes 400. Only 13 women on this year's list are classified as self-made.

13. Nancy Walton Laurie

Nancy Walton Laurie inherited her fortune through her father, Bud Walton, who was Sam Walton's younger brother and a key figure in Walmart's early growth.

She has interests outside retail, including real estate and philanthropy, but Walmart remains the foundation of her wealth. Her fortune places her among the richest women in the US and makes her another important part of the Walton family's enormous holdings.

14. Ann Walton Kroenke

Ann Walton Kroenke also inherited Walmart wealth through her father, Bud Walton. She is married to businessman Stan Kroenke, whose interests include sports, real estate and entertainment.

Her own fortune, however, is rooted in the Walmart stake she inherited. She is one of several Walton family members whose wealth continues to appear prominently in America's billionaire rankings.

15. Laurene Powell Jobs

Laurene Powell Jobs inherited a substantial fortune from her late husband, Apple cofounder Steve Jobs. Her wealth is also connected to Disney through the trust that holds the family's investments.

Rather than becoming part of Apple's corporate leadership, Powell Jobs built a separate career through Emerson Collective. The organization works across philanthropy, investment, education, climate, immigration and media. Forbes estimates her fortune at about $15.5 billion.

A Look at Where Their Wealth Comes From

The list of the richest women in America is dominated by ownership rather than salaries or conventional executive compensation. Walmart alone accounts for Alice Walton, Christy Walton, Nancy Walton Laurie and Ann Walton Kroenke. Koch, Inc. accounts for Julia Koch and Elaine Marshall, while Mars has kept Jacqueline Mars among America's wealthiest families.

There are other routes. Abigail Johnson stayed with Fidelity and rose to its top leadership. Diane Hendricks built ABC Supply with her husband. Marilyn Simons' fortune grew from Renaissance Technologies, while Melinda French Gates and Laurene Powell Jobs have fortunes connected to two of the most important technology companies of the modern era.

The picture is beginning to change at the edges. Forbes notes that six Anthropic cofounders entered the 2026 Forbes 400 with estimated fortunes of $15.5 billion each. Daniela Amodei, the company's president and cofounder, is now the second-richest self-made woman in the country.

For anyone searching for the Forbes richest women, the 2026 figures are best viewed as a snapshot. Forbes calculated the 400 using wealth estimates based on September 4, 2026 market values, so the numbers can move as stock prices and private-company valuations change.

The complete Forbes 400 ranking provides the full list and methodology behind the figures.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.    Who are the richest women in America?

Alice Walton is the richest woman on the 2026 Forbes 400, with an estimated fortune of $118 billion. Julia Koch and Jacqueline Mars follow with estimated fortunes of $84.6 billion and $50.3 billion.

2.    Who are the wealthiest women in America who are self-made?

Diane Hendricks is the richest self-made woman on the 2026 Forbes 400. She built ABC Supply with her late husband, Ken Hendricks.

3.    How does Forbes calculate these fortunes?

Forbes considers public and private company stakes, stock prices, real estate, investments, debt and other available financial information. The 2026 Forbes 400 uses valuations from September 4, 2026.

4.    Which families appear several times on the list?

The Walton family has four women represented: Alice Walton, Christy Walton, Nancy Walton Laurie and Ann Walton Kroenke. Julia Koch and Elaine Marshall are connected to the Koch family fortune, while Jacqueline Mars is part of the Mars family.

5.    Can the net worth figures change?

Yes. Public share prices change every trading day, while private-company valuations can also change. Forbes' annual ranking therefore represents wealth at a particular point in time rather than a fixed permanent figure.

About the Company

Visionaries Network is a business media and PR platform helping companies, CEOs, founders, and professionals build visibility and share their stories. It combines business news, leadership features, industry coverage, and media solutions to support brand growth.