Christy Walton – the richest woman in the world

Bloomberg's 2014 rich list brought a few surprises at the top. The “surprise” was found on the ninth spot and her name is Christi Walton. She is the richest woman in the world with an estimated fortune of 38.5 billion dollars.

She is the widow of John T. Walton, the second son of Sam Walton, Wal-Mart. She became the beneficiary of her husband's fortune in 2005. Christy inherited 12.4 percent stake in Wal-Mart, the biggest retailer in the world and also the largest private employer in the U.S. She also inherited in excess of 25 million shares at First Solar company.

Her inherited fortune brought her the title of sixth richer person in the U.S. However, she is one of the highest philanthropist female in the world according to the amount of money donated. Among the institutions that received massive donations from Christy Walton are San Diego Natural History Museum, The Philanthropy Roundtable, Mingei International Museum, San Diego Zoological Society, University of Arkansas and many others.

According to Bloomberg's 2014 rich-list there are only two other women in top 20. The 13th spot was clinched by Alice Walton, the youngest child of Sam Walton with a net worth of 35 billion, while the 14th spot was snatched by Liliane Bettencourt, the wealthiest woman in Europe that owns a third of L'Oreal, the world's largest cosmetics company.