The richest Black people in the world, make up fewer than 1% of all billionaires worldwide. According to Visual Capitalist, there are 5 Black billionaires with a combined wealth of $48.9 billion.
Of the 15 richest, only one is a Black woman. Here is a list of the ten wealthiest Black people in the world and what they did to make it to the top.
Michael Lee-Chin
Michael Lee-Chin is a Jamaican-Canadian businessman, philanthropist, chairman, and CEO of Portland Holdings Inc: a privately held investment company in Ontario, Canada.
According to Forbes, he’s worth $1.5 billion.
Michael Jordan
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Considered one of the greatest players in the NBA of all time, Jordan has earned $1.8 billion from such corporate partners as Nike, Hanes, and Gatorade.
In 2020, he became a NASCAR team co-owner, and he owns the Charlotte Hornets.
Jordan has an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah is the only Black-woman that makes the top 10 list of billionaires.
She flipped her profits from her long-standing TV career into $2 billion. She also launched her cable channel OWN in 2011 which is worth more than $65 million alone.
So, what’s her estimated net worth? $2.6 billion!
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Alexander Karp
Alex Karp is co-founder and CEO of the data-mining firm Palantir Technologies, a company that does contract work for government agencies, including the Department of Defense, the FBI, and the Danish National Police.
The self-made billionaire has an estimated net worth of $3 billion, according to Visual Capitalist.
Patrice Motsepe
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Patrice Motsepe, the founder and chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, became a billionaire in 2008. Representing South Africa, he started a mining service contracting business.
In 2016, he launched a new private equity firm, African Rainbow Capital, focused on investing in Africa.
Motsepe has a network of $3.1 billion. According to Forbes, he’s self-made.
David Steward
David Steward is the founder and chairman of IT provider World Wide Technology, whose customers include Citi, Verizon, and the federal government.
Steward has a net worth of $3.7 billion.
Abdulsamad Rabiu
Abdulsamad Rabiu is the founder of BUA Group, a Nigerian conglomerate active in cement production, sugar refining, and real estate.
Rabiu, the son of a businessman, inherited land from his father. In 1988, he set up his own business by importing iron, steel, and chemicals.
His net worth is $4.8 billion.
Robert F. Smith
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Robert Smith is the founder of the private equity firm Vista Equity Partner. Launched in 2000, it focuses exclusively on investing in software companies.
With over $50 billion in assets, Vista is known as one of the best-performing private equity firms in the world.
Smith has a net worth of $6 billion.
Mike Adenuga
Mike Adenuga is an inspiration as he’s a self-made billionaire.
As Nigeria’s second-richest man, he built his fortune in telecom and oil production.
His mobile phone network, Globacom, is the third-largest operator in Nigeria, with 55 million subscribers, as reported in Forbes.
Adenuga received an MBA at Pace University in New York and supported himself in school by working as a taxi driver.
He has a net worth of $6.1 billion.
Aliko Dangote
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There’s a reason why Burna Boy made a song titled “Dangote.”
Aliko Dangote is Africa’s richest person and takes the top spot as the richest Black person in the world. He founded and chairs Dangote Cement, the continent’s largest cement producer.
He’s worth $11.5 billion!
