The wealthiest men in the world know that money doesn’t always equal happiness. The measure of a successful mogul is not only their next acquisition; it’s also the love of a good woman that drives them to achieve their riches. These billionaires have met their matches with equally powerful women who are accomplished in their own right.
From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, the cornucopia of capital is even greater when a woman is in the picture. Meet some of the extremely impressive women that these affluent men have chosen to stand by. These pairs give new meaning to the term “power couple.”
Larry Page & Lucinda Southworth
Lucinda Southworth is married to Larry Page, founder of Google and Alphabet CEO. Lucinda has a PhD in Biomedical Informatics from Stanford University. A scientist and researcher, she married Page on December 8th, 2007 on the secluded Caribbean island Necker, owned by Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson. Lucinda is very involved with charitable work. The couple founded the Carl Victor Page Memorial Foundation, and donated $15 million to help fight the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa. Lucinda actively works with her mother’s charitable organizations, the McLain Associations for Children and the Stepping Stones International Organization, which helps mentally and physically handicapped children.
Steve Wynn & Andrea Hissom
Andrea Hissom is married to real estate mogul Steve Wynn, the owner of Wynn Resorts and former CEO and chairman of Mirage Resorts. The British socialite started her career as a social worker, but that quickly fell by the wayside when she tied the knot with Wynn on April 30th, 2011. Their courtship was not without scandal. She first met the billionaire, 21 years her senior, in the French Riviera in 2008, when he was still married to his first wife, Elaine. She’s stood by her man despite allegations of sexual misconduct in 2018. No stranger to the hospitality business, she is a great-niece of Ben Novack, the developer of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach Hotel.
Bernard Arnault & Hélène Mercier
Hélène Mercier is married to French mogul Bernard Arnault, the chairman and CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE. His net worth is $72 billion, according to Forbes . Hélène is an accomplished pianist who entered the Vienna Academy of Music at 15 and continued her studies at the famed Juilliard School of Music in New York. She recorded with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and plays with the New Japan Philharmonic. They met in 1990, when he seduced her with his own piano playing, and married on September 23rd, 1991.
Bernie Ecclestone & Fabiana Flosi
Fabiana Flosi is the third wife of Bernie Ecclestone, the former CEO of the Formula One Group. They say the third time is the charm, despite him being twice her age and half her height. Fabiana, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, had race car driving in common with Ecclestone. She worked for International Publicity, which promoted Brazilian Grand Prix. That led to her position as vice president of marketing for the racing company. They first met through the World Motor Sport Council. It was on a cruise trip around Croatia in 2009 that they began dating, and married in April 2012. Fabiana studied law, as well, and has helped Ecclestone with his Formula One legalities.
François-Henri Pinault & Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek is a well-known actress married to Francois-Henri Pinault, the CEO of Kering. The couple’s 2009 nuptials were held in the famous Venice opera house Teatro La Fenice. Salma is highly active in raising awareness about violence against women and discrimination against immigrants. Her own charity, the Salma Hayek Foundation, supports organizations giving aid to and raising awareness for battered women. Since the birth of her daughter, it has branched out to work with disadvantaged children on the streets of Mexico who are coping with drugs, violence, and a lack of education.
Mukesh Ambani & Nita Dalal
Nita Dalal is married to Reliance Industries chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani. She met Ambani when she was a schoolteacher and married him in 1985. Nita is very involved in the family business, as the chairperson and founder of the Reliance Foundation. The family is among the richest in India, with an estimated fortune of $40 billion. She was listed as “the most influential women business leader” in Asia by Forbes . Nita was the first Indian woman to become a member of the International Olympic Committee. As the co-owner of the Mumbai Indians cricket team, she led an “Education for All” initiative, helping 70,000 underprivileged children. Nita is the founder and chairperson of the Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai.
Roman Abramovich & Dasha Zhukova
Dasha Zhukova married Roman Abramovich, the CEO of Millhouse Capital, in a secret 2008 ceremony. Zhukova was born in Moscow and is a philanthropist and businesswoman in her own right. She founded the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, supporting the advancement of contemporary art and culture in Russia and abroad. Also a magazine magnate, she is the editor-in-chief of Garage Magazine and the fashion zine Pop . She also co-founded the fashion label Kova & T. She is a founding member of the Culture Shed, a new performing arts center in New York. Sadly, Zhukova and Abramovich divorced in 2017.
Julie Chen, a news anchor and producer for CBS television, married Les Moonves — the former president of CBS — in 2004. Their beginning was a bit sordid, as she began dating Moonves while he was still married to Nancy Wiesenfeld. Chen remains committed to Moonves, who was forced to step down as CEO of CBS amid sexual misconduct allegations at the network. Chen hosts the reality show Big Brother and is a former moderator for the chat show The Talk .
Warren Buffet & Astrid Menks
Astrid Menks is the wife of octogenarian billionaire Warren Buffet, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Forbes puts his net worth at $88.3 billion. His former wife, Susan Thompson, introduced him to the restaurant hostess and Latvian immigrant. Astrid became his live-in companion while he and Susan were still married, until her death in 2004. The trio had an unconventional relationship and would send out Christmas cards together, signed “Warren, Susan, and Astrid,” according to The Daily Mail . Astrid and Warren married in 2006 on his 76th birthday. Astrid is involved in her own charity work and contributes to the local zoo.
Michael Dell & Susan Dell
Susan Dell is married to Michael Dell, the founder and CEO of Dell Computers. Susan is the co-founder and chairman of the board of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, established in 1999. It is dedicated to improving the lives of children and families living in urban poverty in the United States, India, and South Africa. Over the years, the foundation has committed $1.3 billion to nonprofits involved in these causes. Susan is also a competitive athlete who has participated in marathons, triathlons, and cycling races. She has held female records in several major Hawaii-based cycling races for over a decade. Susan is also a successful fashion mogul, having founded three fashion labels, including the ritzy luxury brand Phi in 2004.
Amancio Ortega & Flora Pérez
Flora Pérez is the wife of Spanish fashion billionaire Amancio Ortega, the co-founder of Zara. Eighteen years his junior, they married in 2001. Flora worked in the cutting department in one of Sabón’s factories when she was promoted to brand store manager at Ortega’s company. They kept their relationship professional — Amancio was still married to Rosalía Mera, who co-founded Zara — until they had a daughter together. Today she is vice president of the Amancio Ortega Foundation board, whose funds are dedicated to social welfare projects and support organizations such as Cáritas and Proyecto Hombre.
Rob Walton & Melani Lowman
Melani A. Lowman is the third wife of Rob Walton, the chairman of Walmart. They married in 2005 and share a passion for racing vintage sports cars. Lowman is a former athletic trainer and basketball coach. She sits on the boards of the Arizona Science Center and Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation. Lowman manages the Walton Family Foundation, which donated $1 million towards the construction of the Phoenix Theater and $15 million for a third auditorium. She also gave $1 million to her alma mater, Dickinson State University. As a result, a portion of the school’s activities center was renamed the Lowman-Walton Concourse.
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