L'Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt dies at age 94

PARIS – Liliane Bettencourt, the L'Oréal cosmetics heiress and the world's richest woman, has died at her home in a chic Parisian suburb. She was 94.

Bettencourt's daughter, Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, said in a written statement Thursday that her mother "left peacefully" overnight in Neuilly-sur-Seine.

Liliane Bettencourt was the only child of Eugene Schueller, who founded L'Oréal in the early 20th century. Forbes magazine estimated her fortune to be worth $39.5 billion this year.