Meet 3 of the richest women in Chinese history, with 1 being the wealthiest woman ever
- Empress Wu Zetian controlled immense amount of wealth during Tang dynasty (618-907), estimated to be worth US$16 trillion
Billionaires worldwide are amassing increasingly absurd amounts of wealth, with Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, estimated to be worth US$222 billion.
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, the heiress to the L’Oreal empire, is the world’s richest woman, worth an estimated US$86 billion, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index.
However, they would pale in comparison to Wu Zetian (r.690-705), the only woman ever to rule China during the Tang dynasty (618-907).
Given China’s wealth at the time, which accounted for 23 per cent of global GDP, she has a case to be remembered as the wealthiest woman in history, with some estimates saying she controlled US$16 trillion in assets.
With its 5,000-year history, China has undoubtedly seen its share of ultra-wealthy women, whom the Post will highlight below.
Wu Zetian (624-705)
