Liliane Bettencourt |
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Liliane Bettencourt (born 1922) is the richest person in France and one of the wealthiest people in the world. Forbes magazine placed her as the world's 11th richest billionaire in 2005, with $18.8 bn.
In 1950, Bettencourt married French politician André Bettencourt. Now a widow, she lives in Paris, France, and has one child, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, who sits on L'Oréal's board of directors.
In 1957, Bettencourt inherited the L'Oréal fortune from her father Eugène Schueller, L'Oréal's founder. She is the principal shareholder of L'Oréal, the world's leading company in cosmetics and beauty. The company ownership breakdown: 27.5% by Liliane Bettencourt, 26.4% by Nestlé, the remaining 46.1% are publically traded.
Bettencourt's family has a reputation for secrecy, partially due to controversy surrounding allegations of collusion with the Vichy France regime and the Nazis during World War II.
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