Dangote’s fortune soars: tops forbes’ 2025 list of black billionaires
Nwali Chidozie
Lagos, August 22 – Aliko Dangote, the Nigerian industrialist, has solidified his position as the world’s richest Black person, with his net worth seeing a significant jump on the recent Forbes 2025 list.
The increase is largely attributed to the successful launch and full operation of the multi-billion-dollar Dangote Refinery, located in lekki, Lagos state, which has dramatically expanded his business empire.
The 2025 list highlights a remarkable increase in wealth for several Black billionaires, with a mix of familiar names and new entrants from a range of industries, from tech to business — entertainment.
Nigeria and the United States continue to be home to a large number of the individuals on the list.
Here is the Forbes list of the top Black billionaires for 2025, with their updated net worths.
Based on the context of the Forbes 2025 list,
the ranking of the top 10 Black billionaires.
Rank
Name
Net Worth
Source of Wealth
1
Aliko Dangote
$23.9 billion
Cement, Sugar, Oil Refinery
2
David Steward
$11.4 billion
IT Services
3
Robert F. Smith
$10.8 billion
Private Equity
4
Alexander Karp
$8.4 billion
Software
5
Mike Adenuga
$6.8 billion
Telecom, Oil
6
Abdulsamad Rabiu
$5.1 billion
Cement, Sugar
7
Michael Jordan
$3.5 billion
Sports, Investments
8
Patrice Motsepe
$3.0 billion
Mining, Investments
9
Oprah Winfrey
$3.0 billion
Media
10
Jay-Z
$2.5 billion
Music, Investments, Spirits
ThinkBusiness
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Dangote’s fortune soars: tops forbes’ 2025 list of black billionaires
Nwali Chidozie
Lagos, August 22 – Aliko Dangote, the Nigerian industrialist, has solidified his position as the world’s richest Black person, with his net worth seeing a significant jump on the recent Forbes 2025 list.
The increase is largely attributed to the successful launch and full operation of the multi-billion-dollar Dangote Refinery, located in lekki, Lagos state, which has dramatically expanded his business empire.
The 2025 list highlights a remarkable increase in wealth for several Black billionaires, with a mix of familiar names and new entrants from a range of industries, from tech to business — entertainment.
Nigeria and the United States continue to be home to a large number of the individuals on the list.
Here is the Forbes list of the top Black billionaires for 2025, with their updated net worths.
Based on the context of the Forbes 2025 list,
the ranking of the top 10 Black billionaires.
ThinkBusiness Africa
Your daily dose of contexts, commentary, and insights on business and economic developments that matter to you.
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