# Black billionaires

Black billionaires are individuals who are of predominantly African ancestry with a net worth of at least US$1 billion.
According to the 2025 Forbes ranking of the world's billionaires, Nigerian business magnate Aliko Dangote had a net worth of US$28.3 billion and was the world's richest black man.
Other billionaires of African descent on the 2021 Forbes list included Nigerian businessman Mike Adenuga with $6.1 billion, American investor Robert Smith with $12.0 billion, American businessman David Steward with $12.8 billion, American media mogul Oprah Winfrey with $3.7 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, American rapper Jay-Z with $2.5 billion, American rapper Kanye West with $2.7 billion, sports executive Michael Jordan with $3.5 billion, Jamaican-Canadian businessman Michael Lee-Chin with $1.6 billion, Nigerian businessman Abdul Samad Rabiu with $7.6 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.
From 2001 to 2003, Forbes listed American television network executive Bob Johnson as a billionaire, but dropped him after his fortune was split in his divorce. 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, 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. Otedola re-emerged as a billionaire in 2024.
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 2024 had a net worth of $12.5 billion. 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. Isabel dos Santos is of both Angolan and Russian ancestry is worth $4.0billion in 2018. The net worth of Alex Karp reached approximately $10.0 billion in 2025. He is cofounder and CEO of Palantir Technologies, and has an African-American mother. Rihanna is of both Guyanese and Irish descent.
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.

## List of Black billionaires

(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 | 538; Richest: Bill Gates, $114 billion |
| 2002 | 1: Bob Johnson, $1 billion | 2: Mohammad Al Amoudi, $1.5 billion Michael Lee-Chin, $1.1 billion | 497; Richest: Bill Gates, $52.8 billion |
| 2003 | 2: Bob Johnson, $1.2 billion Oprah Winfrey, $1 billion | 2: Mohammad Al Amoudi, $1.5 billion Michael Lee-Chin, $1.4 billion | 476; Richest: Bill Gates, $40.7 billion |
| 2004 | 1: Oprah Winfrey, $1.1 billion | 2: Michael Lee-Chin, $2.4 billion Mohammad Al Amoudi, $1.4 billion | 587; Richest: Bill Gates, $46.6 billion |
| 2005 | 1: Oprah Winfrey, $1.3 billion | 2: Michael Lee-Chin, $2.5 billion Mohammad Al Amoud, $2.5 billion | 691; Richest: Bill Gates, $46.5 billion |
| 2006 | 1: Oprah Winfrey, $1.4 billion | 2: Mohammad Al Amoudi, $6.9 billion Michael Lee-Chin, $2.1 billion | 793; Richest: Bill Gates, $50 billion |
| 2007 | 2: Oprah Winfrey, $1.5 billion Bob Johnson, $1.1 billion | 2: Mohammad Al Amoudi, $8 billion Michael Lee-Chin, $1.6 billion | 946; Richest: Bill Gates, $56 billion |
| 2008 | 5: Aliko Dangote, $3.3 billion Oprah Winfrey, $2.5 billion Mo Ibrahim, $2.5 billion Patrice Motsepe, $2.4 billion Bob Johnson, $1 billion | 2: Mohammad Al Amoudi, $9 billion Michael Lee-Chin, $1.8 billion | 1,125; Richest: Warren Buffett, $62 billion |
| 2009 | 5: Oprah Winfrey, $2.7 billion Aliko Dangote, $2.5 billion Mo Ibrahim, $2 billion Femi Otedola, $1.6 billion Patrice Motsepe, $1.3 billion | 2: Mohammad Al Amoudi, $9 billion Michael Lee-Chin, $1 billion | 793; Richest: Bill Gates, $40 billion |
| 2010 | 3: Oprah Winfrey, $2.4 billion Patrice Motsepe, $2.3 billion Mo Ibrahim, $2 billion | 2: Mohammad Al Amoudi, $10 billion Michael Lee-Chin, $1 billion | 1,011; Richest: Carlos Slim Helu & family, $53.5 billion |
| 2011 | 5: Aliko Dangote, $13.8 billion Patrice Motsepe, $3.3 billion Oprah Winfrey, $2.7 billion Mike Adenuga, $2 billion Mo Ibrahim, $1.8 billion | 1: Mohammad Al Amoudi, $12.3 billion | 1,210; Richest: Carlos Slim Helu & family, $74 billion |
| 2012 | 5: Aliko Dangote, $11.2 billion Mike Adenuga, $4.3 billion Patrice Motsepe, $2.7 billion Oprah Winfrey, $2.7 billion Mo Ibrahim, $1.1 billion | 1: Mohammad Al Amoudi, $12.3 billion | 1,210; Richest: Carlos Slim Helu & family, $74 billion |
| 2013 | 5: Aliko Dangote, $16.1 billion Mike Adenuga, $4.7 billion Patrice Motsepe, $2.9 billion Oprah Winfrey, $2.8 billion Mo Ibrahim, $1.1 billion | 2: Mohammad Al Amoudi, $13.5 billion Isabel dos Santos, $2 billion | 1,426; Richest: Carlos Slim Helu & family, $73 billion |
| 2014 | 7: Aliko Dangote, $25 billion Mike Adenuga, $4.6 billion Oprah Winfrey, $2.9 billion Patrice Motsepe, $2.9 billion Florunsho Alakija, $2.5 billion Abdul Samad Rabiu, $1.2 billion Mo Ibrahim, $1.1 billion | 2: Mohammad Al Amoudi, $15.3 billion Isabel Dos Santos, $3.7 billion | 1,645; Richest: Bill Gates, $76 billion |
| 2016 | 11: Aliko Dangote, $15.4 billion Mike Adenuga, $10 billion Robert Smith, $4.4 billion Oprah Winfrey, $3.1 billion Femi Otedola, $1.85 billion Strive Masiyiwa, $1.8 billion Folorunsho Alakija, $1.55 billion Patrice Motsepe, $1.15 billion Michael Jordan, $1.14 billion Abdul Samad Rabiu, $1.1 billion Mo Ibrahim, $1.07 billion | 2: Mohammed Al-Amoudi, $8.3 billion Isabel Dos Santos, $3.1 billion | 1,810; Richest: Bill Gates, $75 billion |
| 2019 | 12: Aliko Dangote, $10.4 billion Mike Adenuga, $9.2 billion Robert Smith, $5 billion David Steward, $3.9 billion Oprah Winfrey, $2.7 billion Strive Masiyiwa, $2.4 billion Patrice Motsepe, $2.3 billion Michael Jordan, $1.9 billion Abdul Samad Rabiu, $1.6 billion Folorunsho Alakija, $1.1 billion Mo Ibrahim, $1.1 billion Jay-Z, $1 billion | 4: Mohammad Al-Amoudi, $8.6 billion Isabel Dos Santos, $2.3 billion Michael Lee-Chin, $1.9 billion Alex Karp, $1.3 billion | 2,153; Richest: Jeff Bezos, $110 billion |
| 2020 | 14: Aliko Dangote, $8.3 billion Mike Adenuga, $5.6 billion Robert Smith, $5 billion David Steward, $4 billion Abdul Samad Rabiu, $3.2 billion Oprah Winfrey, $2.7 billion Strive Masiyiwa, $2.4 billion Patrice Motsepe, $2.3 billion Michael Jordan, $2.1 billion Kanye West, $1.2 billion Folorunsho Alakija, $1.1 billion Mo Ibrahim, $1.1 billion Jay-Z, $1 billion Tyler Perry, $1 billion | 4: Mohammad Al-Amoudi, $7.6 billion Alex Karp, $3 billion Isabel Dos Santos, $2.3 billion Michael Lee-Chin, $1.9 billion | 2,095; Richest: Jeff Bezos, $113 billion |
| 2021–2022 | 17: Aliko Dangote, $11.5 billion Mike Adenuga, $6.1 billion Robert Smith, $5 billion David Steward, $4 billion Abdul Samad Rabiu, $3.2 billion Oprah Winfrey, $2.7 billion Strive Masiyiwa, $2.4 billion Patrice Motsepe, $2.3 billion Kanye West, $2 billion Michael Jordan, $1.6 billion Tope Awotona, $1.4 billion Jay-Z, $1.4 billion Mo Ibrahim, $1.2 billion Tyler Perry, $1 billion LeBron James, $1 billion Sean Combs, $1 billion Magic Johnson, $1 billion | 6: Mohammad Al-Amoudi, $5.45 billion Alex Karp, $1.1 billion Michael Lee-Chin, $1.9 billion Rihanna, $1.7 billion Isabel Dos Santos, $1.4 billion Tiger Woods, $1.0 billion | 2,755; Richest: Elon Musk, $271.9 billion |
| 2023 | 15: Aliko Dangote, $14.2 billion Abdul Samad Rabiu, $8.2 billion Robert Smith, $8 billion Mike Adenuga, $6.1 billion David Steward, $6 billion Patrice Motsepe, $2.7 billion Oprah Winfrey, $2.5 billion Michael Jordan, $2 billion Strive Masiyiwa, $1.9 billion Jay-Z, $2.5 billion Magic Johnson, $1.2 billion Mo Ibrahim, $1.2 billion Tope Awotona, $1.2 billion Tyler Perry, $1 billion LeBron James, $1 billion | 5: Mohammad Al-Amoudi, $9.05 billion Michael Lee-Chin, $1.4 billion Rihanna, $1.4 billion Alex Karp, $1.3 billion Tiger Woods, $1.1 billion | 2,540; Richest: Bernard Arnault & family, $211 billion |
| 2024 | 17: Aliko Dangote, $13.9 billion Robert Smith, $12.0 billion David Steward, $12.8 billion Mike Adenuga, $6.9 billion Abdul Samad Rabiu, $5.9 billion Michael Jordan, $3.4 billion Oprah Winfrey, $3.3 billion Patrice Motsepe, $3.2 billion Jay-Z, $2.8 billion Strive Masiyiwa, $3.1 billion Adebayo Ogunlesi $1.7 billion Femi Otedola, $1.5 billion Tope Awotona, $1.4 billion Tyler Perry, $1.4 billion Mo Ibrahim, $1.3 billion LeBron James, $1.2 billion Magic Johnson, $1.2 billion | 5: Mohammad Al-Amoudi, $9.43 billion Alex Karp, US$7.9 billion Michael Lee-Chin, $1.4 billion Rihanna, $1.4 billion Tiger Woods, $1.3 billion | 2,781; Richest: Bernard Arnault & family, $233 billion |