The richest widow in the world in 2026 is Julia Koch, whose fortune is estimated at about $81 billion after she and her three children inherited 42% of Koch Industries following David Koch’s death in 2019. This list ranks 8 women who inherited or took control of major fortunes after the death of a husband, using the most recent public valuations we could verify as of October 2026. Several women on the original 2016 version of this list have since died, and they now appear in a separate section.
| Rank | Name | Our estimate of net worth | Source of wealth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julia Koch | About $81 billion | Koch Industries |
| 2 | Miriam Adelson | About $35 billion | Las Vegas Sands |
| 3 | Iris Fontbona | About $26 billion | Antofagasta PLC |
| 4 | Diane Hendricks | About $22 billion | ABC Supply |
| 5 | Christy Walton | About $21.5 billion | Walmart shares |
| 6 | Laurene Powell Jobs | About $12 billion | Disney shares and Apple legacy |
| 7 | Massimiliana Landini Aleotti | About $8 billion | Menarini |
| 8 | Margarita Louis-Dreyfus | About $6 billion | Louis Dreyfus Company |
1. Julia Koch: about $81 billion
Julia Koch’s husband, David Koch, died in August 2019. She and their three children inherited his 42% interest in Koch Industries, one of the largest privately held companies in the United States. By August 2026 her fortune was estimated at about $81.2 billion, which makes her one of the richest women in the world.
How we valued it: our estimate follows the inherited 42% family stake in Koch Industries and public valuations of the group, shared with her children, and carries wide uncertainty because the company is private.
2. Miriam Adelson: about $35 billion
Miriam Adelson became owner of casino company Las Vegas Sands after her husband Sheldon Adelson, who founded it, died in 2021. She remains the majority owner and runs it with her family. Estimates placed her wealth at about $34.6 billion in October 2025. She is also the publisher of the newspaper Israel Hayom, and with her family owns the Las Vegas Review-Journal and a controlling stake in the Dallas Mavericks, bought with the Dumont family in 2023.
How we valued it: mostly her Las Vegas Sands stake at market prices (the stock closed at $35.68 on October 23, 2026), plus the Mavericks stake bought in 2023. We could not verify her current share count, so the total is a labelled estimate.
3. Iris Fontbona: about $26 billion
Iris Fontbona was married to Andrónico Luksic Abaroa, who died in 2005 and left her the family’s Antofagasta PLC mining group. She is the wealthiest person in Chile, with a fortune estimated at $25.8 billion in February 2025. Under her control the family business grew substantially.
How we valued it: the family’s holding in Antofagasta, a listed copper miner, at 2025 prices, which move with copper.
4. Diane Hendricks: about $22 billion
Diane Hendricks co-founded ABC Supply with her husband Ken Hendricks. He died in December 2007, and she stayed on as chairman of the roofing and building products distributor. The estimate stood at $21.9 billion in December 2024, up from about $2.8 billion in 2012, and she is among the richest self-made women in the United States.
How we valued it: a private-company estimate based on ABC Supply’s scale and sector valuations, reported through December 2024.
5. Christy Walton: about $21.5 billion
Christy Walton married John T. Walton, a son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, who died in a plane crash in 2005. The bulk is Walmart stock, an estimated stake of about 1.9%. A market index put her at roughly $21.5 billion in August 2026, though that moves daily with Walmart’s share price.
How we valued it: about 1.9% of Walmart at the August 2026 share price, plus other assets. Walmart closed at $119.89 on October 23, 2026, above the August level cited, so the stake is likely worth somewhat more now, though we could not verify her exact share count.
6. Laurene Powell Jobs: about $12 billion
Laurene Powell Jobs married Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who died in October 2011. She inherited the Steven P. Jobs Trust, which held a stake in Walt Disney, and she founded the Emerson Collective, which she leads. She also chairs The Atlantic. A market index placed her at about $11.9 billion in July 2025.
How we valued it: mostly her Disney holdings at 2025 prices and other investments.
7. Massimiliana Landini Aleotti: about $8 billion
Massimiliana Landini Aleotti and her three children inherited Menarini, the Florence-based pharmaceutical company, after her husband died in May 2014. Her daughter Lucia is chairman and her son Alberto Giovanni is vice chairman. A March 2026 estimate put the total at $7.9 billion.
How we valued it: the family’s ownership of Menarini, a private pharmaceutical group, using the 2014 company valuation of about $11.6 billion as a baseline, adjusted for growth.
8. Margarita Louis-Dreyfus: about $6 billion
Margarita Louis-Dreyfus became the majority shareholder of the Louis Dreyfus group when her husband, Robert Louis-Dreyfus, died of leukemia in July 2009. The 2026 estimate is about $5.8 billion. The group is a global commodities merchant.
How we valued it: her controlling stake in the private commodities group, which depends on trading earnings.
In memoriam: former entries who have died
Three women from the 2016 version of this list are no longer living, so they no longer rank. Maria Franca Fissolo, widow of Michele Ferrero and honorary president of the Ferrero group, died on February 12, 2026, aged 87. Liliane Bettencourt, the L’Oréal heiress who was the richest woman in the world when she died, passed away on September 21, 2017. Martha Ingram, who led Ingram Industries from 1995 to 2008, died on August 6, 2026, aged 90.
Special mentions
- Savitri Jindal is chairperson emeritus of the O.P. Jindal Group. The Jindal family’s combined wealth is estimated at about $40 billion (October 2025), so her personal share is not separate.
- Marilyn Simons co-founded the Simons Foundation with her husband Jim Simons, who died in May 2024 with a net worth then estimated at $31.4 billion. How his estate is divided is not public.
- Liz Mohn was married to Reinhard Mohn of Bertelsmann until his death in 2009 and remains on the group’s governance bodies. We have no reliable current estimate of her personal wealth.
Keep reading
- 15 things that change once you get rich: what sudden wealth does to daily life.
- Family offices: how families manage inherited fortunes.
FAQ
Who is the richest widow in the world in 2026?
Julia Koch, with an estimated fortune of about $81 billion inherited largely through Koch Industries after David Koch died in 2019.
Who is the richest widow in the United States after Koch?
Miriam Adelson, majority owner of Las Vegas Sands, is estimated at about $35 billion, followed by Diane Hendricks and Christy Walton at roughly $22 billion and $21.5 billion.
Who left this list since 2016?
Maria Franca Fissolo (Ferrero) and Martha Ingram died in 2026, and Liliane Bettencourt (L’Oréal) died in 2017. Several new entrants, including Julia Koch and Miriam Adelson, now rank near the top.
Are these figures exact?
No. Most of these fortunes are tied to private companies or stock prices that change daily, so we show approximate values with the date of the most recent estimate.
Did all of these women inherit their wealth?
Most inherited a stake or took over a business after their husbands died. Diane Hendricks co-founded ABC Supply with her husband and kept building it afterward.
How we estimate net worth
Our estimates are based on public reporting, company valuations, and deal and earnings figures all compiled in an internal valuation model. They are approximate, and figures change over time as new information emerges.
For this list we combined disclosed ownership stakes, listed share prices where a company is public, and last-known private valuations. Where a fortune is shared with children or an estate, we note it.
Last updated: October 2026.
