The 2026 FIFA World Cup has brought multitudes of late night spit-out-your-coffee moments. From Messi’s hat tricks and his Nutmeg (where he passes the ball through his opponent’s legs and gets it on the other side), Mbappe’s Rabona (a flashy move where he wraps one leg behind the other and…boom), and Ronaldo’s Panenka (boldest penalty kick ever), have us all adjusting our sunglasses to make sure we saw what we think we just saw.
The tournament isn’t just showcasing mind-blowing gummy bear-like athletic talent – it also highlights some of the highest paid athletes on the planet. While these players earn staggering sums through salaries, endorsements, and business ventures, their wealth pales in comparison to the 5 richest women in the world. So, let’s compare: becoming a bazillionaire through athletic prowess verse inherited wealth and choose whose dinner party you would rather attend.
The Highest Earning Soccer Players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – Team: Portugal National Team | Estimated annual earnings: $300 million.
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – Team: Argentina National Team | Estimated annual earnings: $140 million.
- Kylian Mbappé (France) – Team: France National Team | Estimated annual earnings: $100 million.
These soccer legends didn’t just score goals with their million dollar toes – they built financial fortresses fueled by massive contracts, brand deals, and savvy investments. Yet even the tallest towers of wealth can crack without a strong foundation. Trusts and estate plans serve as the mortar between generations, helping fortunes weather life’s storms and stand the test of time. Many of the world’s wealthiest women are proof of this, nurturing family fortunes like a relay baton passed carefully from one generation to the next, growing stronger with every handoff.
Behold the 5 Richest Women in the World:
1. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers
Net Worth: Approximately $100+ billion
Source of Wealth: L’Oréal
Yes ladies, that mascara you just bought continues to make Françoise Bettencourt Meyers the world’s richest woman in 2026. The French heiress inherited her stake in the cosmetics giant founded by her grandfather, Eugène Schueller. Her wealth illustrates the power of generational wealth transfer and the importance of preserving family assets through effective estate and trust planning.
Maybe we don’t share the “b” for “billion” in our net worth, but we do share one common trait: our mortality. Whether we are fabulously wealthy or simply comfortable, we are all here for only a short time. We all have beloved family members, friends, or charities that mean something to us and that we would like to benefit by passing on something tangible so our memory can live on.
2. Alice Walton
Net Worth: Approximately $95+ billion
Source of Wealth: Walmart
With a net worth exceeding $95 billion, Alice Walton exemplifies how generational wealth can endure when paired with thoughtful planning. As the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, she inherited part of a business empire that reshaped retail. Yet her legacy reaches beyond inheritance. Through philanthropy, arts initiatives, and major charitable investments, Walton has spent decades building institutions designed to outlast her own lifetime – a reminder that preserving wealth is not just about passing down assets, but also passing down purpose.
3. Julia Koch & Family
Net Worth: Approximately $75+ billion
Source of Wealth: Koch Industries
Few fortunes illustrate the power of planning quite like that of Julia Koch. After the death of her husband, David Koch, she inherited a major stake in Koch Industries, a corporate giant with its fingerprints on everything from fuel and chemicals to paper towels and building materials. In other words, there is a decent chance Koch Industries is involved in something you touched today – even if you have never heard of it. Her story is a powerful reminder that building wealth is only half the battle; preserving it requires a blueprint that can carry a family business across generations.
4. Jacqueline Mars
Net Worth: Approximately $45+ billion
Source of Wealth: Mars Incorporated
An heir to the Mars candy empire, Jacqueline Mars, sits atop one of the most successful family-owned snack dynasties in the world. A kingdom built on chocolate, caramel, M&M’s, Snickers, Twix, and Skittles. And…if you grew up in the 1980’s, throw some Milky Ways into that candy tower. Her family’s careful long-term planning has done more than preserve wealth – it has kept a literal chocolate universe intact across generations, proving that while most fortunes need diversification, this one survives just fine on the principle of “if it’s candy, it probably sells.”
5. MacKenzie Scott
Net Worth: Approximately $35+ billion
Source of Wealth: Amazon
MacKenzie Scott continues to make headlines for her philanthropy and charitable giving, moving billions in donations with minimal flash and quiet impact. Rather than stuffing her millions under her pillow, she has redirected much of her fortune to a wide range of nonprofits. She has supported organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Feeding America, Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill Industries, as well as community colleges and historically Black colleges and universities.
She looks like the girl next door, but her approach reframes estate planning as a spreading wildfire of bringing opportunity to institutions that desperately need a little holy water.
What Can We Learn from the World’s Wealthiest Soccer Star and Wealthiest Women?
The lessons don’t change regardless of the size of your pot of gold. The nuggets you accumulated came from your sweat, tears, sacrifice, and hours of big dreaming. These nuggets deserve protection. Proper planning is the only way to keep this wealth going. It can minimize disputes between combative family members, reduce your taxes, avoid unnecessary probate complications, and ensure assets are distributed according to your wishes.
The need for a well-crafted estate plan is universal. Whether you own a family home, a business, investment accounts, or simply want to make life easier for your loved ones, taking proactive steps today can help avoid costly probate disputes and ensure your wishes are honored. Attorneys Fernando Orrego, Esq. and Natasha Chipiga, Esq. work with individuals and families throughout South Florida to create customized estate plans, establish trusts, protect assets, and guide beneficiaries through the probate process. Their experience as estate lawyers, South Florida probate lawyers, Trust attorneys, and estate planning attorneys help clients preserve what matters most and create a lasting legacy for future generations.
Get started with a phone consultation by contacting OC Estate & Elder Law, P.A. at (954) 251-0332 or info@ocestatelawyers.com. Our attorneys are fluent in English, Spanish, and Russian.
