WORLD
Forbes has just released its latest list of the World’s black billionaires, 2025 with Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote taking the first position.
Here’s a breakdown of the 23 black billionaires in 2025
- Aliko Dangote
Net Worth: $23.9 billion | Source of Wealth: Cement, sugar | Citizenship: Nigeria
The founder and CEO of Dangote Group began the painful process of building Africa’s largest oil and gas refinery in 2013.
After 11 years, $23 billion in investment and innumerable headaches, the Dangote Refinery finally began operating in early 2024, helping boost Dangote’s fortune by $10.5 billion since last year’s list.
- David Steward
Net Worth: $11.4 billion | Source of Wealth: IT provider | Citizenship: U.S.
The richest Black American cofounded World Wide Technology, which provides IT solutions to customers like Citi and Verizon, in 1990.
He still serves as chairman of the private company, which now has nearly 10,000 employees and generates $20 billion in annual revenue.
- Robert F. Smith
Net Worth: $10.8 billion | Source of Wealth: Private equity | Citizenship: U.S.
Smith founded $100 billion (assets under management) Vista Equity Partners, the largest Black-owned private equity firm in the United States, in 2000. He still runs the firm, which has more than 700 employees and focuses exclusively on investing in software companies.
- Alexander Karp
Net Worth: $8.4 billion | Source of Wealth: Software firm | Citizenship: U.S.
Karp is the cofounder and CEO of Palantir Technologies, a data mining company whose customers include the FBI, the Department of Defense and other government agencies. Palantir went public in 2020 and now has a market capitalization of nearly $200 billion.
- Mike Adenuga
Net Worth: $6.8 billion | Source of Wealth: Telecom, oil | Citizenship: Nigeria
Adenuga made his first $1 million at age 26 as a commodities trader. Now he is one of the richest people in Africa thanks to his mobile phone network, Globacom, and his oil exploration outfit, Conoil.
- Abdulsamad Rabiu
Net Worth: $5.1 billion | Source of Wealth: Cement, sugar | Citizenship: Nigeria
Abdulsamad Rabiu is the founder of BUA Group, a Nigerian conglomerate active in cement production, sugar refining and real estate. He launched the company 1988 and still serves as chairman and CEO. Through his foundation, the Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative, he also supports education, health and social development projects across Africa.
- Michael Jordan
Net Worth: $3.5 billion | Source of Wealth: Charlotte Hornets, endorsements | Citizenship: U.S.
Often considered the greatest basketball player of all time, Jordan won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. His salary during his career totaled $90 million, but he has earned more than $2.4 billion (pretax) from such corporate partners as Nike, Hanes and Gatorade. In 2023, Jordan sold his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets in a deal that valued the NBA franchise at $3 billion. Today, he is one of just four Black Americans on The Forbes 400 ranking of the country’s richest people.
- (tie) Patrice Motsepe
Net Worth: $3 billion | Source of Wealth: Mining | Citizenship: South Africa
Motsepe is the founder and chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, a diversified mining and minerals company with operations in South Africa and Malaysia. In 2008, he became the first Black African on the World’s Billionaires list.
8 (tie) Oprah Winfrey
Net Worth: $3 billion | Source of Wealth: TV shows | Citizenship: U.S.
Her hit talk show ran for 25 years, until 2011, and she reinvested the profits from the program and films such as The Color Purpleand Selma into a media and business empire. In 2011, she launched cable channel OWN and sold most of her stock toWarner Bros. Discovery in 2020.
- Jay-Z
Net Worth: $2.5 billion | Source of Wealth: Music | Citizenship: U.S.
One of the greatest hip-hop musicians of all-time, Jay-Z has won 25 Grammys and launched multiple businesses, including the fashion brand Rocawear (which sold for $204 million in 2007) and alcohol lines D’Usse and Armand de Brignac. In 2019, he became hip-hop’s first billionaire.
- Adebayo Ogunlesi
Net Worth: $2.2 billion | Source of Wealth: Private equity | Citizenship: U.S.
A native of Nigeria and now a U.S. citizen, Ogunlesi is the founding partner, chairman and CEO of New York-based private equity firm Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). In October, GIP was acquired by BlackRock for $12.5 billion in cash and shares.
12 (tie). Magic Johnson
Net Worth: $1.5 billion | Source of Wealth: Basketball, investments | Citizenship: U.S.
Following his retirement from the NBA in 1996, Johnson began investing, opening movie theaters and Starbucks franchises, often in Black communities. The majority of his fortune comes from a 60% ownership stake in life insurance company Equitrust, which has grown from $16 billion in assets under management to $27 billion since he took over in 2015. Johnson also owns small equity stakes in four sports teams, including the NFL’s
Washington Commanders and the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
12 (tie). Femi Otedola
Net Worth: $1.5 billion | Source of Wealth: Energy, utilities | Citizenship: Nigeria
Otedola made his first fortune in commodities before selling his shares in Forte Oil to invest in the energy business. Today, he is the chairman and majority owner of Geregu Power, a power generation business, whose other investors include the Nigerian government and the State Grid Corporation of China.
14 (tie). Tope Awotona
Net Worth: $1.4 billion | Source of Wealth: Software | Citizenship: United States
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Awotona moved to Atlanta when he was 15, and studied computer science at the University of Georgia before switching majors to business and management information. In 2013, he founded Calendly, a scheduling software startup, which private investors valued at $3 billion in 2021.
14 (tie). Tyler Perry
Net Worth $1.4 billion | Source of Wealth: Movies, television | Citizenship: U.S.
Perry, who has built a platform as the second highest-paid TV showrunner, achieved billionaire status in 2020. He is best known for his “Madea” movie franchise, which has grossed more than $660 million. He also owns a quarter of the streaming platform BET+ and a 330-acre studio in Atlanta.
14 (tie). Tiger Woods
Net Worth: $1.4 billion | Source of Wealth: Golf | Citizenship: U.S.
Over the course of his golf career, Woods has won 15 major championships (second only to Jack Nicklaus), 82 PGA Tour tournaments (tied for first with Sam Snead) and has won more prize money ($122 million) than any player in PGA history. However, the majority of Woods’ earnings have come from his lucrative brand deals, most famously with Nike.
14 (tie). Rihanna
Net Worth: $1.4 billion | Source of Wealth: Music, cosmetics | Citizenship: Barbados
Born Robyn Fenty in Barbados—Rihanna is her middle name—she became a billionaire thanks to her cosmetics company, Fenty Beauty, which she co-owns with the French luxury conglomerate LVMH.
18 (tie). Mohammed Ibrahim
Net Worth: $1.3 billion | Source of Wealth: Communications | Citizenship: UK
Ibrahim founded Celtel International, one of the first mobile phone companies serving Africa and the Middle East, in 1998. Seven years later, he sold Celtel to Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications Company for $3.4 billion and pocketed $1.4 billion. Since then, he’s focused on fighting corrupt leadership in Africa through the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.
18 (tie). LeBron James
Net Worth: $1.3 billion | Source of Wealth:Basketball | Citizenship: U.S
In 2022, James became the first active basketball player to become a billionaire, having earned more than $900 million (pretax) from endorsements and business ventures. James is a 21-time NBA All-Star, four-time NBA champion, and four-time NBA MVP.
- Strive Masiyiwa
Net Worth: $1.2 billion | Source of Wealth: Telecom | Citizenship: Zimbabwe
Masiyiwa founded Econet Group in 1993 and built it into a telecom conglomerate with operations and investments throughout Africa, South America and Asia. He still serves as chairman of the company and also sits on the boards of the Gates Foundation and Netflix.
