Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Teaser

According to the most recent Forbes magazine ranking, two women currently share the title, and they're related. Alice Walton (56), daughter of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, is worth roughly 18 billion bucks. Alice lives in Texas, where she raises horses.

Helen Walton (85), the widow of Sam, is also good for lunch, with an estimated net worth of $18 billion. She currently resides in Bentonville, Arkansas, where she sponsors a preschool.

Liliane Bettencourt (82), the daughter of L'Oréal founder Eugene Schueller, is the next lady on the list, with approximately 17.2 billion. She lives in France, where she awards a science prize every year.

Nine of the world's fifty richest people are women. The richest self-made woman in the world is Rosalia Mera (61) of Spain, who is worth approximately $2 billion. She started off making gowns and lingerie in her home. Her business eventually grew into the apparel manufacturer Inditex, which sold $6 billion worth of clothes last year.

And what about Oprah? According to Forbes, the media mogul is worth around $1.3 billion. Not too shabby, but still a ways behind the Walton women.