#2117

Lily Safra

Monaco 88 years old

Overview

Brazil-born, Monaco-based billionaire Lily Safra inherited most of her fortune from her fourth husband, the late Edmond J. Safra, a banker.

Edmond's 1999 death in a fire at his Monaco penthouse made global headlines and prompted conspiracy theories despite his nurse's admission of guilt.

Edmond left most of his fortune to the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation, but he also left Lily enough assets to make her a billionaire.

Lily's fortune also stems from a stake in Brazilian appliance giant Ponto Frio, inherited after second husband Alfredo Monteverde's 1969 suicide.

She sold the stake in 2009 for $340 million to Brazilian retailer Grupo Pao de Acucar, resulting in a 2015 lawsuit she ultimately won.

Safra supports the only synagogue on the ancient Greek island of Rhodes.

In 2012, Safra's Hope Ruby sold at a Christie's charity event for $6.7 million, a world-record price for a ruby at auction.