Photo: MediaPunch Inc/REX USA.Let's try an experiment: Who comes to mind when you think "billionaire"? Chances are, you probably conjured up images of some of the world's wealthiest men: Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, et. al. But, the times they are a-changin' — finally. We're happy to report that, according to The Guardian, the annual Forbes list of billionaires for 2014 includes a record number of women.
This year, 172 women made the list, which is a striking 25% increase from last year. Still, in spite of their record-breaking presence on the list, women still only make up 10% of the billionaires club. We're getting there, right? Among the billion-dollar ladies are Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In scribe and COO of Facebook; Meg Whitman, president of Hewlett-Packard; and Christy Walton, whose late husband was the son of Walmart founder Sam Walton.
The Guardian points out that only 32 of the 172 female billionaires actually struck it rich on their own; others inherited wealth from their parents or husbands. So, while broken records are all well and good, we think this 32 vs. 140 discrepancy illustrates how difficult it still is for women to achieve that self-made mogul status. Still, we're pumped to see this shot of estrogen hit the billionaire (boys) club, and we hope to see even more ladies join the ranks next year.
(The Guardian)