LAGOS, Nigeria — Aliko Dangote, wey be di richest person for Nigeria, don show sey hard work dey pay as im rank as di richest Black man for di world according to Forbes annual billionaire list wey come out on April 1, 2025. Im net worth don rise from $13.4 billion for last year to $23.9 billion dis year, plenty thanks to im massive Dangote Refinery wey don start operation dis year.
Di refinery wey take more than $23 billion to build na di largest for Africa. Dangote believe sey e risk everything for dis project, as e say if e no work, e go finish. “If this didn’t work, I was dead,” Dangote tell Forbes. Di refinery alone don add $10.5 billion to im wealth since last year.
For di past year, Forbes track how di world dey add billionaires wey no reach 3,028 now, with collective wealth of $16.1 trillion. Among dis statistics, 23 Black billionaires dey represent just 0.8% of di total, but dem dey worth a solid $96.2 billion overall, mainly coming from di finance, energy, and tech sectors.
David Steward, wey dey also na American, come second for di list with $11.4 billion, while Robert F. Smith follow am with $10.8 billion. Di rest of di top five na Alexander Karp from Palantir Technologies with $8.4 billion and Mike Adenuga wey own Globacom, di second largest mobile phone network for Nigeria, with $6.8 billion.
Oprah Winfrey still dey hold her ground as di only woman wey dey inside di top ten richest Black billionaires, joined by di likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, and Tiger Woods. Winfrey don turn her media empire from di successful ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ wey run for 25 years and also acquired BET networks.
Sheila Johnson, co-founder of BET, also enter di billionaire list dis year alongside new faces like Herriot Tabuteau, wey start a biotech firm wey focus on brain disorders. NBA player Junior Bridgeman wey just died dis March for age 78, fit have joined di list if e no pass away.
Dangote don dey build im palace for Nigeria since 2013 and through im hard work, e become Africa’s richest person. No be joke work as e have to remove over 365 million cubic meters of sand to get di refinery running.
“It was a massive challenge,” Dangote talk about di construction process. Di refinery don help boost local economy and dey create thousands of jobs. Dis development dey show wetin fit happen when determined people take on risks and persist.
Conclusively, with Forbes dey highlight di rise of Black billionaires, correct discussions dey happen on how dem fit continue to uplift communities and make impacts through their wealth and businesses.
