Since 1987, Forbes has been rounding up a list of billionaires from around the world, listing 140 in that first year. Among them, only one was Black: Robert L. Johnson – the co-founder and former CEO of BET. While both the number of billionaires and their collective wealth have grown astronomically over the years, the representation of Black billionaires remains disproportionately small. This year, with a total of 3,028 billionaires, only 23 of them are Black. Although these Black billionaires represent less than 1% of the list, they hold a combined net worth of $96 billion.
Sheila Johnson
Net worth: $1 billion
Sheila Johnson, another new addition to the list, co-founded BET alongside her then-husband, Robert Johnson. The couple later sold it to Viacom for $3 billion. Today, she is the founder and CEO of the Salamander Collection, a hospitality brand that operates hotels and resorts in Washington, D.C., Charleston, and Jamaica. She also owns stakes in the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, the NBA’s Washington Wizards, as well as the NHL’s Washington Capitals.
Michael Lee-Chin
Net worth: $1.1 billion
Entrepreneur and investor Michael Lee-Chin made a fortune investing in financial institutions, including the National Commercial Bank Jamaica (NCB) and AIC limited. In 2009 he sold AIC limited but still owns a 60% stake in NCB.
Herriot Tabuteau
Net worth: $1.1 billion
New to the Forbes Billionaires List, Herriot Tabuteau is the founder of Asxome Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for the treatment of pain and other neurological diseases. In November 2015, he took the company public.
Strive Masiyiwa
Net worth: $1.2 billion
London-based Zimbabwean Strive Masiyiwa founded the Econet Group in 1993, building it into a telecom conglomerate with operations and investments across Africa, Asia and South America. He continues to serve as executive chairman of the company and also sits on the boards of the Gates Foundation and Netflix.
Mohammed Ibrahim
Net worth: $1.3 billion
In 1998 Mohammed Ibrahim founded Celtel International, one of the first and largest mobile phone companies serving Africa and the Middle East. In 2005 he sold it to Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications Company for $3.4 billion. Since then, he has been focusing on fighting corruption and promoting better governance in Africa through his Mo Ibrahim Foundation.
LeBron James
Net worth: $1.3 billion
21-time NBA All-Star LeBron James is the first active basketball player to become a billionaire, earning over $900 million (pretax) from various endorsements and business ventures.
Tyler Perry
Net worth: $1.4 billion
Known for his Madea movie franchise, which has grossed over $660 million, Tyler Perry has built a legacy, with 20 years in the entertainment industry. He also owns a 25% stake in BET+, as well as the 330-acre Tyler Perry Studios located in Atlanta.
Tiger Woods
Net worth: $1.4 billion
Tiger Woods has won more prize money than any other player in PGA history, with total winnings of approximately $122 million. He also has a number of lucrative partnerships and brand deals, including with Nike.
Rihanna
Net worth: $1.4 billion
More than just an entertainer, Rihanna is a savvy businesswoman. Her lucrative stakes in Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty propelled her to billionaire status in 2021, with Forbes officially adding her to its Billionaires List for the first time the following year.
Tope Awotona
Net Worth: $1.4 billion
In 2013, tech entrepreneur Tope Awotona founded Calendly, a scheduling software company that garnered customers such as Lyft and Ancestry.com. In 2021, private investors valued the company at $3 billion.
Femi Otedola
Net worth: $1.5 billion
Nigerian businessman Femi Otedola is the executive chairman and majority owner of Geregu Power PLC. He first made his fortune in commodities before selling his shares in Forte Oil to invest in the energy business.
Magic Johnson
Net worth: $1.5 billion
Magic Johnson first made the Forbes Billionaires List in 2023. After retiring from the NBA in 1996, he established Magic Johnson Enterprises, investing in different types of businesses, such as movie houses, Starbucks locations and real estate. In addition to owning small shares in several major sports teams, he also has a 60% share in EquiTrust Life Insurance Company.
Adebayo Ogunlesi
Net worth: $2.2 billion
Ogunlesi is the founding partner, chairman and CEO of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), which is a private equity firm based in New York. In October 2024, GIP was acquired by BlackRock for a cash consideration of $3 billion and approximately $12 million worth of BlackRock common stock.
Jay-Z
Net worth: $2.5 billion
With 25 Grammys under his belt and multiple business ventures, including the fashion brand Rocawear, which he sold for $204 million in 2007, Jay-z made history as hip hop’s first billionaire in 2019.
Oprah Winfrey
Net worth: $3 billion
Oprah became a household name through her iconic talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which ran for 25 years and laid the foundation for her powerful media and business empire. In 2011 she launched the cable channel OWN, later selling most of her stock to Warner Bros. Discovery in 2020.
Patrice Motsepe
Net Worth: $3 billion
South African businessman Patrice Motsepe is the founder and chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, a mining and minerals company with operations in both South Africa and Malaysia. He became the first Black African billionaire on the Forbes List in 2008
Michael Jordan
Net worth: $3.5 billion
Michael Jordan was the first professional athlete to be ranked on Forbes’ List of the 400 wealthiest people in the United States. Much of his wealth was generated through brand partnerships. His partnership with Nike, which created the Air Jordan brand, still garners him approximately $300 to $400 million a year.
Abdul Samad Rabiu
Net worth: $5.1 billion
Abdul Samad Rabiu is a Nigerian businessman and philanthropist who founded the BUA Group, a conglomerate concentrating on cement production, sugar refining and real estate. Through the Abdul Samad Rabiu initiative, he supports education, health and social development projects in Nigeria and throughout the continent.
Mike Adenuga
Net worth: $6.8 billion
Founder of Nigeria’s first private indigenous telecom company, Globacom Limited, Adenuga is one of the richest men in Africa.
Alexander Karp
Net worth: $8.4 billion
Karp is the co-founder and CEO of Palantir Technologies, a data mining company whose clients include major government agencies, such as the FBI and Department of Defense.
Robert F. Smith
Net worth: $10.8 billion
Robert F. Smith is the founder of Vista Equity Partner, the largest Black-owned private equity firm in the United States. In 2025 he closed a deal with IBM that gave him a 142 percent return on investment and made him $4.6 billion richer.
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David Steward
Net worth: $11.4 billion
David Steward is the co-founder and chairman of Maryland Heights-based company, World Wide Technology, which has been providing IT services to companies such as Verizon since 1990. With around 10,000 employees, the company generates approximately $20 billion per year.
Aliko Dangote
Net worth: $23.9 billion
Aliko Dangote, founder and CEO of Dangote Group, remains the wealthiest Black person in the world, with investments in Africa’s largest oil and gas refinery driving his wealth to unprecedented levels. This is the 14th consecutive year that he has made Forbes’ Billionaires List.
