Lilian Betancourt

Lilian Betancourt was a French heiress and businesswoman, known as the wealthiest woman in the world during her lifetime. Born in 1922, she was the daughter of Eugène Schueller, the founder of L'Oréal, and significantly expanded the company’s reach through strategic acquisitions, including luxury cosmetics brands. Despite her business acumen, Lilian's personal life was marked by controversy, especially concerning her relationship with François-Marie Banier, a much younger artist and photographer. Their tumultuous relationship raised questions about her mental capacity and led to family disputes over her fortune, which was ultimately inherited by her daughter, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, upon Lilian's death in 2017.