L’Oreal Heir Becomes First Woman With $100 Billion Fortune (1)

Francoise Bettencourt Meyers became the first woman to amass a $100 billion fortune, marking another milestone for the heiress and for France’s expanding fashion and cosmetics industries.

Her wealth jumped to $100.1 billion on Thursday, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The milestone came as shares of L’Oréal SA, the beauty products empire founded by her grandfather, rose to a record high, with the stock set for its best year since 1998. She’s the 12th-richest person in the world, just behind Mexico’s Carlos Slim.

Despite the gain, Bettencourt Meyers’ fortune is still significantly less than that of ...