Black billionaires
 | This article needs to be updated. (July 2023) |
Black billionaires are individuals who are of predominantly African ancestry with a net worth of at least US$1 billion.
According to the 2024 Forbes ranking of the world's billionaires, Nigerian business magnate Aliko Dangote had a net worth of $13.9 billion and was the world's richest black man.[1]
Other billionaires of African descent on the 2021 Forbes list included Nigerian businessman Mike Adenuga with $6.1 billion, American investor Robert Smith with $11.8 billion, American businessman David Steward with $12.8 billion, American media mogul Oprah Winfrey with $2.7 billion, South African gold magnate Patrice Motsepe with $3.2 billion, Zimbabwe Strive Masiyiwa with $3.1 billion, Barbadian music artist/entrepreneur Rihanna with $1.7 billion,[2] American rapper Jay-Z with $2.5 billion, sports executive Michael Jordan with $1.6 billion, Jamaican-Canadian businessman Michael Lee-Chin with $1.6 billion, Nigerian businessman Abdul Samad Rabiu with $1.6 billion, Nigerian businesswoman Folorunsho Alakija with $1.1 billion, Mo Ibrahim of the United Kingdom with $1.8 billion, American athlete Tiger Woods with $1 billion, and American media mogul Tyler Perry with $1 billion.[3]
From 2001 to 2003, Forbes listed American television network executive Bob Johnson as a billionaire,[4] but dropped him after his fortune was split in his divorce.[5] He returned to the Forbes Billionaire list in 2007 with a net worth of $1.1 billion. In 2008 Johnson's wealth dropped again, this time to approximately $1.0 billion,[6] and by 2009 he fell off the list again. Nigerian petroleum executive Femi Otedola briefly emerged as a billionaire in 2009 but did not remain one in subsequent years. He returned to the list in the company of a fellow Nigerian, sugar tycoon Abdul Samad Rabiu, in 2016, but both were dropped from the rankings the following year.[7] Otedola re-emerged as a billionaire in 2024.[citation needed]
Multiracial billionaires with significant African ancestry have been identified over the years. Saudi Arabian billionaire Mohammed Al Amoudi, of Hadhrami Yemeni and Ethiopian descent, has been on the Forbes billionaire list since 2002 and in 2012 had a net worth of $12.5 billion.[8] Michael Lee-Chin of Canada, who is Jamaican of Chinese and Black ancestry, was on the list from 2001 to 2010 but dropped off in 2011.[9] Isabel dos Santos is of both Angolan and Russian ancestry. Alex Karp, US$ 6.9 billion as of 2024. He is the co-founder, and CEO of Palantir Technologies, has an African-American mother.[10] Rihanna is of both Guyanese and Irish descent.[11][12]
Of all the above-mentioned billionaires identified by Forbes, only Oprah Winfrey qualified for Forbes 2009's list of the world's 20 most powerful billionaires, a list which considered not only wealth, but also market sway and political clout. Winfrey was considered especially powerful because of her influence on American consumer choices and her pivotal role in Barack Obama's successful 2008 U.S. presidential campaign.[13]
List of Black billionaires
[edit](Wealth valuations by Forbes magazine)
| Year | Black billionaires | Bi/Multiracial billionaires with Black ancestry | All billionaires |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1: Bob Johnson, $1.6 billion 
|
1: Michael Lee-Chin, $1 billion  [14]
|
538; Richest: Bill Gates, $114 billion
|
| 2002 | 1: Bob Johnson, $1 billion
|
2:
|
497; Richest: Bill Gates, $52.8 billion
|
| 2003 | 2:
|
2:
|
476; Richest: Bill Gates, $40.7 billion
|
| 2004 | 1: Oprah Winfrey, $1.1 billion
|
2:
|
587; Richest: Bill Gates, $46.6 billion
|
| 2005 | 1: Oprah Winfrey, $1.3 billion
|
2:
|
691; Richest: Bill Gates, $46.5 billion
|
| 2006 | 1: Oprah Winfrey, $1.4 billion
|
2:
|
793; Richest: Bill Gates, $50 billion
|
| 2007 | 2:
|
2:
|
946; Richest: Bill Gates, $56 billion
|
| 2008 | 5:
|
2:
|
1,125; Richest: Warren Buffett, $62 billion
|
| 2009 | 5:
|
2:
|
793; Richest: Bill Gates, $40 billion
|
| 2010 | 3:
|
2:
|
1,011; Richest: Carlos Slim Helu & family, $53.5 billion[28] 
|
| 2011 | 5:
|
1: Mohammad Al Amoudi, $12.3 billion 
|
1,210; Richest: Carlos Slim Helu & family, $74 billion
|
| 2012[31] | 5:
|
1: Mohammad Al Amoudi, $12.3 billion
|
1,210; Richest: Carlos Slim Helu & family, $74 billion
|
| 2013 | 5:
|
2:
|
1,426; Richest: Carlos Slim Helu & family, $73 billion
|
| 2014 | 7:
|
2:
|
1,645; Richest: Bill Gates, $76 billion
|
| 2016 | 11:
|
2:
|
1,810; Richest: Bill Gates, $75 billion
|
| 2019 | 12:
|
4:
|
2,153; Richest: Jeff Bezos, $110 billion
|
| 2020 | 14:
|
4:
|
2,095; Richest: Jeff Bezos, $113 billion
|
| 2021–2022 | 17:
|
6:
|
2,755; Richest: Elon Musk, $271.9 billion  [49]
|
| 2023 | 15:
|
5:
|
2,540; Richest: Bernard Arnault & family, $211 billion  [54]
|
| 2024 | 15:
|
5:
|
2,781; Richest: Bernard Arnault & family, $233 billion [59]
|
References
[edit]- ^ Dolan, Kerry; Wang, Jennifer; Peterson-Withorn, Chase. "Forbes World's Billionaires List: The Richest in 2021". Forbes. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ Berg, Madeline. "Fenty's Fortune: Rihanna Is Now Officially A Billionaire". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
- ^ Nsehe, Mfonobong. "The Black Billionaires 2019". Forbes.
- ^ Pulley, Brett (October 8, 2001). "The Cable Capitalist". Forbes. Retrieved May 11, 2006.
- ^ Regan, Michael P. (February 27, 2004). "Billionaires' ranks open to 'Harry Potter' author". Arizona Daily Star. Archived from the original on July 19, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2006.
- ^ a b "#1062 Robert Johnson". Forbes. March 5, 2008.
- ^ Obusan, Claire. "In Pictures: New Billionaires". Forbes.
- ^ "#116 Mohammed Al Amoudi". Forbes.
- ^ "Michael Lee-Chin". Forbes.
- ^ "Alex Karp, unconventional purveyor of powerful surveillance tools". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2022-12-11. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
- ^ Spivey, Lisa (Jan 2007). "Rihanna, The New Cover Girl". Los Angeles Sentinel. Vol. 72, no. 23. p. B.5. ISSN 0890-4340.
- ^ Walker, Tim (October 31, 2011). "Rihanna: Out for revenge". The Independent. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
- ^ Bertoni, Steven. "In Pictures: The World's Most Powerful Billionaires". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
- ^ "Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People 2001". Forbes. October 28, 2006. Archived from the original on October 28, 2006. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
- ^ "Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People 2002". Forbes. May 19, 2008. Archived from the original on May 19, 2008. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
- ^ "Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People 2003". Forbes. January 1, 2011. Archived from the original on January 1, 2011. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
- ^ "Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People 2003". Forbes. August 21, 2007. Archived from the original on August 21, 2007. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
- ^ "Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People 2004". Forbes. April 28, 2006. Archived from the original on April 28, 2006. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
- ^ "#365 Michael Lee-Chin". Forbes.
- ^ "#840 Robert Johnson". Forbes. March 8, 2007.
- ^ "#618 Michael Lee-Chin". Forbes. March 8, 2007.
- ^ "#462 Oprah Winfrey". Forbes. March 5, 2008.
- ^ "#462 Mohammed Ibrahim". Forbes. March 5, 2008.
- ^ "#503 Patrice Motsepe". Forbes. March 5, 2008.
- ^ "#677 Michael Lee-Chin". Forbes. March 5, 2008.
- ^ "#701 Michael Lee-Chin - The World's Billionaires 2009". Forbes. March 11, 2009.
- ^ "#937 Michael Lee-Chin". Forbes. March 10, 2010.
- ^ Kroll, Luisa; Miller, Matthew (eds.). "The World's Billionaires". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "The Nation - Are Dangote and Adenuga truly Nigeria's richest men?". March 16, 2011. Archived from the original on March 16, 2011. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
- ^ a b c d "#1638 Mohammed Ibrahim". Forbes.com. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
- ^ Nsehe, Mfonobong (March 7, 2012). "The Black Billionaires 2012". Forbes.
- ^ "Aliko Dangote - Forbes profile". Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Mike Adenuga - Forbes profile". Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Aliko Dangote - Forbes profile". Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Mike Adenuga - Forbes profile". Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ Nsehe, Mfonobong. "The Black Billionaires 2016". Forbes. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ^ "Aliko Dangote - Forbes profile". Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Mike Adenuga - Forbes profile". Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Bloomberg Billionaires Index - Mohammed Al Amoudi". Bloomberg. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ "Aliko Dangote - Forbes profile". Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Mike Adenuga - Forbes profile". Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Bloomberg Billionaires Index - Mohammed Al Amoudi". Bloomberg. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ "Aliko Dangote - Forbes profile". Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Mike Adenuga - Forbes profile". Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ a b c "Michael Jordan". Forbes.
- ^ "Tope Awotona". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
- ^ Paul, Larisha (October 28, 2022). "Diddy Replaces Ye, Joins Jay-Z in Billionaires Club on 2022 List of Wealthiest Hip-Hop Artists". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
- ^ "Bloomberg Billionaires Index - Mohammed Al Amoudi". Bloomberg. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ "Elon Musk". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
- ^ "Aliko Dangote - Forbes profile". Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Mike Adenuga - Forbes profile". Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Tope Awotona". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
- ^ "Bloomberg Billionaires Index - Mohammed Al Amoudi". Bloomberg. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ "Bernard Arnault". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ "Aliko Dangote - Forbes profile". Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Mike Adenuga - Forbes profile". Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Tope Awotona". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "Bloomberg Billionaires Index - Mohammed Al Amoudi". Bloomberg. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Bernard Arnault". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-04-07.