This is this week’s ForbesWomen newsletter, which every Thursday brings news about the world’s top female entrepreneurs, leaders and investors straight to your inbox. Click here to get on the newsletter list!
The rich are getting richer. This is according to the 38th annual Forbes list of the world’s billionaires, which was released this week and reveals that there are now 2,781 members of the triple-comma club, up by 141 over last year and worth a collective $14.2 trillion (yes, trillion with a T).
Women are, of course “still woefully underrepresented” on the list, note our wealth editors, accounting for 369 of the world’s 2,781 billionaires—or 13% of the total pool, the same rate of representation as last year. The globe’s richest woman is once again Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, the French heiress to the L'Oréal fortune. She’s worth an estimated $99.5 billion.
Within the cohort of women who are billionaires is an even rarer group: Women who made their ten-figure fortunes themselves. These “self-made” billionaires account for just 3.6% of the list, and include entrepreneurs like Spanx founder Sara Blakely and ABC Supply cofounder Diane Hendricks. And while their ranks are small, there is a bit of good news, our wealth team notes: “There are more self-made female billionaires this year than ever before—and nearly four times the number there were a decade ago.”
Cheers!
Maggie McGrath
P.S.: Nominations for the 2024 50 Over 50 list are officially open, so if you are creating your greatest professional impact after the age of 50, please head to this link here to nominate yourself today!
Featured Forbes Profile: She Fled Iran And Became An Israeli Cyber Spy. Now She’s Raised $30 Million For A Security Startup.
Sanaz Yashar, CEO of Zafran, spent 15 years working for elite cyber intelligence agency Unit 8200, promoted to officer in 2004.
Eric SultanWhen Sanaz Yashar was a teenager, she and her family fled their home in Tehran, the capital of Iran, and emigrated to Israel. Her background helped her get recruited for 8200, Israel’s equivalent of the National Security Agency: Yashar understood Farsi and Iranian culture, both useful for gathering intelligence on her homeland. After spending 15 years in Israeli intelligence and seven in the private sector, Yashar has now raised $30 million for a new venture called Zafran. She’s targeting a pressing problem: The average data breach costs the victim company $4.5 million and cyberattacks cost the global economy hundreds of billions every year.
ICYMI: News Of The Week
ALBANY, NEW YORK - APRIL 01: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes shoots the ball while defended by Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Tigers during the finals of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament - Albany Regional at MVP Arena on April 01, 2024 in Albany, New York. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesTicket prices for the NCAA Women’s Final Four and championship games in Cleveland increased dramatically after Elite 8 games Monday headlined by a rematch of last year’s national championship between Iowa and LSU, according to secondary market data from ticket sales company TicketiQ—which reported prices are higher than those for the men’s Final Four and championship.
More than 12 million people tuned into that Iowa-LSU rematch to watch guard Caitlin Clark square off against LSU forward Angel Reese—making it the highest-rated college basketball game in ESPN history. While these two stars are defying stereotypes to break barriers for women’s sports, Reese and her LSU teammates have been subject to racist and sexist commentary from the media, serving as a reminder of just how much progress still needs to be made.
As few as three alcoholic drinks per week can be associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease—and this link is more notable in women than in men, according to a study to be presented at the 2024 Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology.
The Supreme Court in Florida ruled Monday that a 15-week ban on most abortions that was enacted in 2022 is constitutional—a move that clears the way for the state to enact a 6-week abortion ban. In a separate ruling, the Court also decided to allow a ballot initiative on abortion to move forward, paving the way for Florida voters to decide on abortion access in their state in November. On the heels of these decisions, Florida State Representative Anna Eskamani sat down with ForbesWomen editor Maggie McGrath this week to explain what this means for women in Florida and beyond.
The Checklist
1. Deal with your career crossroads. Experiencing a mid-career crisis? It might be time for a change. Here’s what you need to know.
2. File your taxes. The normal filing deadline–April 15–is fast approaching. Do you need an extension or qualify for a special circumstance? This guide for last minute filers answers those questions and many, many more.
3. Gossip strategically and get ahead at work. Done correctly–and lightly–office gossip can build camaraderie without treading into toxic territory. It can also provide you with mission-critical information…
Liked what you read? Click here to get on the newsletter list!
