List Of All Black Billionaires
Of the 2,755 people on the list, however, only 14 are black. This means that only 14 black people in the world have a net worth above a billion dollars; less than 1% of the entire billionaire population, clearly indicating a racial and continental wealth gap.
These black billionaires come from different countries and have amassed wealth through different means - business, entertainment, technology, telecoms, etc.
Below is a quick background on the Black billionaires in the world.
Tyler Perry – $1 Billion
Tyler Perry is an actor, director, producer, and writer best known for his Madea franchise which has grossed more than $660 million. Tyler Perry's wealth comes mainly from being 100% owner of the content he creates. In the past twenty years, the 51 yeard-old has managed to establish himself as one of the foremost storytellers and directors in Hollywood, with Forbes naming him the highest-paid man in entertainment in 2011.
In 2019, Tyler opened Tyler Perry Studios, a 330-acre studio in Atlanta which is currently the biggest in the United States.
Mohammed Ibrahim – $1.1 Billion
Mohammed "Mo" Ibrahim is the founder of Celtel International in one of the first mobile phone companies serving Africa and the Middle East.
He later sold Celtel to Kuwait's Mobile Telecommunications Company for $3.4 billion in 2005 and gained $1.4 billion as profit.
He has a majority stake in Satya Capital, a private equity fund that invests in African startups.
Jay-Z – $1.4 billion
Shawn Corey Carter, popularly known as Jay-Z, is one the most successful and recognized artists of this generation. However, beyond being an artist, the 51-year-old is also an avid businessman capable of raising his net worth by about $400 million in a year even without releasing new music or going on tour.
His net worth rose by over $400 million on account of deals he struck with large companies like Square, - where he sold Tidal, his music-streaming site - and LMVH, where he sold his champagne line, Ace On Spades. Currently, he still has investments in real estate, art, music, liquor, and Roc Nation.
Kanye West – $1.8 Billion
Music genius and designer Kanye West is on the richest black people list with a net worth of $1.8 billion. Being the second hip hop artist to reach billionaire status after Jay -Z, much of his wealth is tied to the lucrative deal he has with sports line Adidas, for the design of popular sneaker brand Yeezy. Apart from being paid royalties yearly, the rapper also has other sources like his extensive music catalog, publishing rights to his songs, as well as his music label.
Strive Masiyiwa – $1.5 Billion
Strive Masiyiwa, London-residing, Zimbabwean businessman is the founder of the popular Econet Wireless telecommunications company. This didn't come easy, as he was forced to battle the Zimbabwean government, led by Robert Mugabe - who refused to give him an operating license- for five years. Now, he's the richest Zimbabwean and one of the wealthiest people in the world since 2019. The businessman owns over half of Liquid Telecom, a private company providing fiber optic and satellite services to Telecom companies across Africa.
Michael Lee-Chin – $1.5 Billion
Jamaican-Canadian businessman and philanthropist Michael Lee-Chin made his billion-dollar fortune by investing in financial companies like National Commercial Bank Jamaica and AIC Limited. He first made Forbes’ billionaires list back in 2010 and has appeared consecutively for the last four years.
Michael Jordan – $1.6 Billion
Regarded as the greatest NBA player of all time, Michael Jordan's career salary totaled as high as $90 million. That however is not enough to put him on the Forbes list, but the former athlete has earned about $1.8 billion from numerous deals with Nike, Gatorade, and Hanes. He joined the billionaire's club in 2014 and has remained there ever since.
Oprah Winfrey – $2.7 Billion
Opera Winfrey doesn't need any introductions, the media mogul has managed to turn herself into a household name - all over the United States, and the world at large. Her career which began as a news anchor, and subsequently talk-show host, has grown exponentially to a media empire - including a television network, with her stake in it worth an estimated $65 million. The business-savvy anchor successfully reinvested the profits from her talk show until she became a billionaire.
Patrice Motsepe – $3.1 Billion
Patrice Motsepe is a South African founder and Chairman of African Rainbow Minerals. He became a billionaire in 2008 and made it to the Forbes list that same year - becoming the very first African to make it to the Forbes billionaire list.
He's also the founder of a private equity firm that is focused on investing in Africa, Africa Rainbow Capital. He is the owner of Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club and recently was elected CAF (Confederation Of African Football) President.
David Steward – $3.7 Billion
David Steward is the founder and chairman of World Wide Technology, an IT company that doubles as the largest Black-owned company in the United States.
The company today, which David majorly owns, is worth about $12 billion and caters to top companies like Verizon, Citi, and even the federal government.
Abdulsamad Rabiu – $5.2 Billion
Abdulsamad Rabiu is a Nigerian billionaire businessman who is the founder and Chairman of BUA Group - a top conglomerate that deals in the manufacturing and refining of goods like cement and sugar, as well as real estate.
In 2020, the businessman merged his privately-owned Obu Cement company with another company under his control, Cement Co. of Northern Nigeria, to form the formidable BUA Cement - the second largest cement producer in Nigeria, and one of the largest in sub-Saharan African.
Abdulsamad Rabiu alone is said to own 98.5% of his company.
Robert F. Smith – $6 Billion
Billionaire Robert F. Smith is a notable investor in the tech industry. He is the founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, an investment firm that focuses on software companies.
His company Vista is currently one of the best-performing private equity firms in the country with over $50 billion in assets, and recording annual returns as high as 22% since it was founded.
Robert Smith is also known for his philanthropy. In 2019, he paid off the entire student debt of the Morehouse College graduating class.
Mike Adenuga – $6.2 Billion
Founder of one of Nigeria's too telecom companies, Globacom, Mike Adenuga is a businessman through and through. He has branched into other sectors in the country, like the lucrative oil production sector.
Aliko Dangote – $11.4 Billion
Aliko Dangote is considered the richest Black man in the world as the founder and chairman of Dangote Cement, the largest cement producer in Africa. Alhaji Dangote owns an 85% stake in his publicly traded company.
Apart from cement, he is also into salt and sugar manufacturing and is currently building the largest crude oil refinery in Africa.
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