The richest black men in the world are captains of industry. The commentary that follows the revelation about who the wealthiest black men are usually centers about how they compare with billionaires from other ethnic groups. However, such comparisons will only fall short because they fail to look retrospectively, and take into account the rate of progress made by black businessmen so far.

For the record, some of the richest black men are African nationals who are based on the continent. More than anything, that shows the potential of Africa in terms of economy, and in terms of the strength and character of the people of the continent. Africa is blessed with visionaries; men of exceptional foresight and ability.

Going forward, these black men of exceptional wealth will serve as beacons of hope; thereby motivating the younger generation to put in more effort in their various fields of endeavor.

Top 10 Richest Black Men In The World

Rank No. Richest Black Man Net Worth
1. Aliko Dangote $13.5 Billion
2. Robert Smith $6.7 Billion
3. Abdul Samad Rabiu $6.5 Billion
4. Mike Adenuga $6.1 Billion
5. David Steward $5.8 Billion
6. Oprah Winfrey $2.5 Billion
7. Patrice Motsepe $2.5 Billion
8. Kanye West $2 Billion
9. Michael Jordan $1.7 Billion
10. Strive Masiyiwa $1.7 Billion
11. Rihanna $1.4 Billion
12. Tope Awotona $1.4 Billion

Details on Each Person On The List Of The Richest Black Person In The World

1. Aliko Dangote

Net worth: $13.5 billion

Nationality: Nigerian

Aliko Dangote is the richest black man in the world. He was born in Kano State, Nigeria, in 1957, the son of a wealthy trader. After his education he received start-up capital from his uncle Sanusi Dantata, and 1977 he established a small trading business in Kano, before moving to Lagos to expand the business.

Dangote received a $500,000 loan from his uncle to begin trading in commodities such as bagged cement as well as rice and sugar.

From there one he found that producing these items is actually more profitable than just selling them. Furthermore, production gives one more control in the business.

Now, Aliko Dangote controls a large business empire encompassing cement, flour, sugar, oil and gas, fertilizer, as well production of other items such as noodles, spaghetti, and so on. The Dangote Group also has interests in construction and transportation.

2. Robert Smith

Net Worth: $6.7 billion

Nationality: United States

Robert Smith was born on December 1, 1962, in Denver, Colorado, USA. He is an American businessman, philanthropist, chemical engineer, and investor. He is the founder of the private equity firm Vista Equity Partners.

In high school, he applied for an internship at Bell Labs but was declined because the program was designed for college students. Remarkably though Robert Smith persisted; he called the lab every Monday for five months until they accepted him. At Bell Labs, he showed promise; he developed a reliability test for semiconductors.

Since then he has held research and development positions in several establishments; including Goodyear Tires, Air Products and Chemicals, and Kraft Foods. He then worked in the financial services industry, where he gained valuable experience in controlling business.

He is an investor with stakes in both listed companies, and new start ups, particularly in the area of technology.

3. Abdul Samad Rabiu

Net worth: $6.5 billion

Nationality: Nigeria

Abdul Samad Rabiu is a Nigerian businessman who was born on the 4th of August, 1960. He was born in Kano, Nigeria. His father Khalifah Isyaku Rabiu was one of the richest men in Nigeria during the 1970s and 1980s.

Abdul Samad Rabiu went to Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, USA, and then returned to Nigeria to take over the family business.

That family business is now the BUA Group; which is one of Nigeria’s biggest conglomerates, with interests in manufacturing, edible oils, flour, steel, sugar, cement, and many other sectors.

Abdulsamad Rabiu is one of the most influential personalities in Nigeria; he is one of the biggest businessmen in the country; as the chairman of the Nigerian Bank of Industry (BOI).

4. Mike Adenuga

Net Worth: $6.1 billion

Nationality: Nigerian

Mike Adenuga is a Nigerian business mogul. He was born on the 29th of April 1953. Mike Adenuga was born to a school teacher; while he did not lack anything growing up, he was raised in modest surroundings. He attended Ibadan Grammar School, and worked as a taxi driver to fund his University Education.

Mike Adenuga became a millionaire in his 20’s; he sold fabrics and soft drinks in large quantities. He then incorporated an oil exploration company, and struck oil in one of the oil fields of southern Nigeria. Consolidated Oil brought him immense fortunes, and gave him a platform for harnessing other avenues of wealth creation.

He established Globacom (Glo) in 2003, and his company quickly became a communications giant; challenging the bigger names in the Nigerian telecommunications industry, and spreading into other African countries.

His three major companies today are Globacom, Equitorial Trust Bank, and Conoil.

5. David Steward

Net worth: $5.8 billion

Nationality: United States

David L. Steward is an American businessman who was born July 2, 1951. He is one of the biggest African American businessmen; his company World Wide Technology, is one of the largest African-American-owned businesses in America.

David Steward’s father was a Mechanic, and his mother was a homemaker. David Steward received his BS degree in business from Central Missouri State University in 1973, at a time when black people had little or no access to most of the finer things in America.

However he was a very capable young man and so found himself working as a production manager at Wagner Electric, and then later as a production manager. He also worked at Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, and then as a senior executive at Federal Express.

He then established World Wide Technology, which integrates systems for telecommunications companies and other such companies. His company has become one of the biggest in the country; making him immensely wealthy.

6. Oprah Winfrey

Net worth: $2.5 Billion

Nationality: United States

Oprah Winfrey is the richest black woman in the world, and the most influential black media personality. Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954, in 1954, to a single teenage mother who depended on state welfare to get by every month. At around 17 years old, she had a job in a grocery store. She went on to win a beauty pageant, and then get a part time job as a news-caster in the local radio station.

She showed promise as an Orator, and after college an opportunity came for her to work as television presenter. She was passionate in presenting issues to her audience, and that soon earned her more fame than she expected.

The Oprah Winfrey Show was syndicated across American television for 25 years; and it remains the highest-rated television program in history.

Oprah Winfrey has been called the “Queen of All Media”, also she is the most influential black woman.

7. Patrice Motsepe

Net worth: $2.5 billion

Nationality: South African

Patrice Motsepe was born on 28 January 1962, in Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria, South Africa. His father was a schoolteacher, and later a businessman. He learned the principles of business by accompanying his father, and then he went to the University of Swaziland for a Bachelor of Arts degree, and then to the University of the Witwatersrand for a law degree.

He became the first black partner at a big law firm, and drafted many agreements for mining ventures. It was while he was drafting mining contracts that he spotted an opportunity in mining, and then ventured into the business.

Today he is the first black billionaire in South Africa; and a mining magnate per excellence. His company African Rainbow Minerals has about 24,016 employees, and declared R9.6 Billion in revenue recently.

8. Kanye West

Net worth: $2 billion

Nationality: United States

Kanye West is the richest black man in entertainment; he is a rapper, American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and fashion designer. He was born June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. His parents divorced when he was 3 years old, and he lived with his mother who later got a job in China, taking him with her to live in Nanjing, China.

He gained fame as a producer for Jay Z’s Roc A Fella records, and later went on to become a solo Rapper himself. His first album The College Dropout (2004) was commercial success; and received reviews by critics from all over the world. Riding on the waves of that success, he established his record label GOOD Music later that same year.

9. Michael Jordan

Net worth: $1.7 billion

Nationality: United States

Michael Jordan is celebrated as the greatest basketball player of all time. He is an American former athlete, entrepreneur, and businessman. Michael Jordan was born February 17, 1963, in New York City, USA.

Michael Jordan played fifteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls in the process. He is a cultural icon in the sport which he made popular in the 1980s and 1990s.

Leveraging on his fame, he entered footwear design and marketing deals with Nike, from where he launched his career as a businessman. Michael Jordan is today the owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA, and he also owns the 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.

10. Strive Masiyiwa

Net worth: $1.6 billion

Nationality: Zimbabwe/ United Kingdom

Strive Masiyiwa is a Zimbabwean billionaire businessman who was born 29 January 1961, in Zimbabwe. However, he grew up in Zambia, and also lived in Scotland as a young man.

As a businessman, he is the founder and executive chairman of the international technology group Econet Global. He is also a renowned philanthropist, and a motivator of young people.

Masiyiwa holds youth forums and Town-hall meetings with young people, where he teaches them on practical success steps. He has also provided scholarships to more than 250,000 young Africans in a philanthropic career spanning over 20 years.

He supports more than 40,000 orphans with educational initiatives. He is one of the biggest givers in Africa, even though he now lives in the United Kingdom.

Worthy Mentions

The Following are wealthy black people deserving a mention on such an illustrious list.

Arthur Eze, $5 Billion, Nigeria (Pending Verification)

Orji Uzor Kalu, $3 Billion, Nigeria (Pending Verification)

Rihanna, $1.4 billion ,United States

Tope Awotona, $1.4 billion, Nigeria/ United States

Jay-Z, $1.4 billion, United States

Tyler Perry, $1.0 billion, United States

Tiger Woods, $1.0 billion United States

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Closing

The richest black men in the world are first black people, before their various nationalities. This is one of the few occasions when black people from all over the world can be grouped as a distinct nationality in order to compare notes on their economic activities, so as to chart a course for a better tomorrow for black people, and the world in general.

Of special interest is the philanthropic work in which many of the personalities on this list are engaged. Hopefully, it will not be too long before the results become evident.

One Reply to “Top 10 Richest Black Men In The World 2023 Black Billionaires”

  1. A Message for Mr Aliko Dangote- It is great to see how well you have done by being a professionl in all your feilds of business. My name is Basil Mann living in South Africa and have been working on the current “old Fashioned” industrial dinosaur transport system. We have developed a plan that will revolutionize people transport throughout the world. Africa is where it should be. The system is environmentally friendly,faster, lighter,sustainable and economical to run.

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