Francoise Bettencourt Meyers Steps Down from L’Oréal Board, Son Jean-Victor to Succeed Her

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

February 7, 2025

Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, the heiress to L’Oréal and Europe’s richest woman, is stepping down from the company’s board after nearly three decades. She will pass the vice-chairmanship to her son, Jean-Victor Meyers, while Alexandre Benais, deputy CEO of Téthys Invest, will take her seat on the board. The changes, announced alongside L’Oréal’s fourth-quarter earnings report, will take effect following a shareholder vote in April.

A Legacy at L’Oréal

Bettencourt Meyers, 71, has been a board member since 1997 and vice-chair since 2020. As the granddaughter of L’Oréal’s founder, she inherited a 35% stake in the company in 2017, following the passing of her mother, Liliane Bettencourt—once the world’s richest woman.

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Beyond business, she is an author and philanthropist, known for her five-volume study of the Bible and a genealogy of Greek gods. She also leads her family’s foundation, which funds advancements in science and the arts.

A Fortune Built On Beauty

Bettencourt Meyers ranks as the world’s second-richest woman, with a net worth of $76.1 billion, trailing only Alice Walton of Walmart.

Her family has played a pivotal role in France’s cultural heritage, notably donating $226 million to restore Notre Dame Cathedral after its devastating 2019 fire.

As she steps back, the next generation is set to take over—a dynasty in transition, but still firmly in control of one of the world’s most powerful beauty empires.

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Cyprus Remains Among EU’s Lowest Renewable Electricity Producers

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 27, 2026

Cyprus remained among the European Union’s weakest performers in renewable energy adoption in 2025, with renewables accounting for 27.5% of gross electricity consumption, according to new data published by Eurostat.

Across the EU, renewable sources supplied 49.9% of gross electricity consumption last year, bringing the bloc close to generating half of its electricity from renewable energy.

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Cyprus Remains Among The EU’s Lowest Performers

Cyprus ranked among the EU countries with the lowest share of renewable electricity, ahead of only Malta at 11.2%, the Czech Republic at 19.2%, Luxembourg at 23.3% and Slovakia at 24.1%.

Across the country’s broader energy system, renewables accounted for 21.5% of gross final energy consumption in 2025.

EU Renewable Electricity Continues To Grow

Renewables supplied 49.9% of gross electricity consumption across the EU in 2025, up from 47.5% a year earlier. Since Eurostat began collecting comparable data in 2004, the share has risen from 15.9%.

Austria recorded the highest share at 90.8%, followed by Sweden at 89.2%. Denmark generated 77.7% of its electricity from renewable sources, followed by Portugal at 65.6%, Greece at 60.9% and Spain at 60.7%.

Overall Energy Transition Still Has Work Ahead

Renewables accounted for 26.2% of the EU’s gross final energy consumption in 2025, up from 25.2% in 2024 and 9.6% in 2004.

Despite the increase, the bloc remains below its legally binding target of 42.5% by 2030. According to Eurostat, achieving that goal will require an average annual increase of 3.3 percentage points between 2026 and 2030.

Sweden recorded the highest overall renewable energy share at 65.4%, followed by Finland at 53% and Denmark at 48.2%. Belgium recorded the lowest share at 14.9%, followed by Slovakia at 16.3% and Ireland at 17.2%.

Heating And Cooling Also Show Steady Progress

Renewable energy accounted for 27.4% of heating and cooling across the EU in 2025, the highest level since comparable records began in 2004. The share increased by 0.7 percentage points from 2024, slightly below the long-term annual average increase of 0.75 percentage points.

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