Who is the first black billionaire?

The first Black billionaire in the U.S. is often cited as Robert Johnson, who co-founded Black Entertainment Television (BET) and became a billionaire after Viacom acquired it in 2001. However, Reginald F. Lewis, a lawyer and businessman who built a billion-dollar company through leveraged buyouts, is also widely recognized as America's first Black billionaire, having achieved this status in the late 1980s before his untimely death in 1993, making him a foundational figure in this space.

Who is the top 10 black billionaires?

Nigeria's Aliko Dangote leads the list of the world's Black billionaires, followed by American IT entrepreneur David Steward and private equity mogul Robert F. Smith, with other prominent figures including Alexander Karp, Mike Adenuga, AbdulSamad Rabiu, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Patrice Motsepe, and Jay-Z rounding out the top, though exact figures and rankings fluctuate. Their fortunes stem from diverse sectors like manufacturing, tech, finance, telecom, and entertainment.
 

Who was the first black African billionaire?

Patrice Motsepe: $2.8 billion

Motsepe was the first Black African to appear on the Forbes list. He became a billionaire in 2008 as founder and chairman of African Rainbow Minerals.

Is Oprah the first black billionaire?

Oprah Winfrey: All the Ways the First Black Female Billionaire Has Made History. From talk show host and business entrepreneur to actor and philanthropist, there is little the "Queen of All Media" hasn't done — and dominated — throughout her career.

Who is the first black billionaire rapper?

The first black billionaire rapper is Jay-Z (Shawn Carter), who achieved this milestone in 2019 according to Forbes. His fortune comes from a diverse business empire including his music, Roc Nation, Armand de Brignac champagne, D'Ussé cognac, Tidal streaming, Uber investments, and real estate, making him the first hip-hop artist to reach billionaire status.
 

The World's Richest Black Billionaires 2025 I Forbes

Who is richer, Diddy or Jay-Z?

Jay-Z is significantly richer than Diddy, consistently topping hip-hop wealth lists with a net worth around $2.5 billion (as of 2024/2025), making him the richest musician and hip-hop artist, while Diddy's net worth is estimated much lower, often around $900 million or less, placing him behind Jay-Z and other artists like Dr. Dre in recent rankings, with his fortunes fluctuating more significantly. 

Who's richer, Drake or Kendrick Lamar?

Drake is significantly richer than Kendrick Lamar, with estimated net worths in 2025 ranging from $250 million (Drake) to around $140 million (Lamar), largely due to Drake's higher volume of music releases, diverse business ventures, and extensive endorsements, while Lamar focuses on fewer, more conceptual projects, according to sources like TheStreet, Koimoi, and Prestige Hong Kong https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65295140/, https://www.thestreet.com/personalities/drake-net-worth, https://www.koimoi.com/fashion-lifestyle/drake-vs-kendrick-lamar-net-worth-2025-which-rap-superstar-leads-the-wealth-scoreboard-this-year/,. 

Who is the only black female billionaire?

Sheila Johnson is the cofounder of BET The first African American woman Billionaire CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts Significant shareholder in 3 professional sports teams (NBA- Washington Wizards, NHL- Washington Capitals, WNBA- Washington Mystics) With MANY MANY more philanthropic and business achievements and ...

Who is the #1 billionaire in the world?

The number one billionaire in the world, as of late 2025/early 2026, is consistently Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, with his wealth fluctuating but often exceeding $300-$600+ billion, fueled by Tesla's EV success and SpaceX's soaring valuation, making him a regular at the top of lists from Forbes and Bloomberg. While figures shift, Musk has largely held the top spot, often followed by tech giants like Larry Page (Google), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), and Mark Zuckerberg (Meta).
 

Who is the richest black family?

The richest Black family in the U.S. is often considered the Steward family, led by David Steward (founder of World Wide Technology) and his wife, with billions in wealth, while globally, Aliko Dangote (Nigeria) leads individuals, with historical figures like the Groves family (early 20th century) and families in St. Louis (like the Pelagys) also notable for established wealth, but current family-focused lists often highlight David Steward as the top U.S. Black billionaire family. 

Who is the richest black actor?

The richest Black actor is widely considered to be Tyler Perry, with an estimated net worth of around $1.4 billion, largely due to his ownership of his content, Tyler Perry Studios, and lucrative deals with ViacomCBS, making him a billionaire from his prolific film, TV, and stage work, especially his "Madea" franchise. While actors like Denzel Washington, Will Smith, and Samuel L. Jackson are top earners and influential, Perry's ownership of his entire catalog sets him apart financially.
 

Who is the richest black man in history?

The richest black man in history is widely considered to be Mansa Musa I, the 14th-century Emperor of the Mali Empire, whose wealth from gold and salt was so immense it's often described as incalculable, with modern estimates placing it around $400 billion, making him arguably the richest person ever. While modern figures like Aliko Dangote are the wealthiest Black individuals today, Mansa Musa's historical wealth from controlling vast gold resources of West Africa truly stands alone in history.
 

Is Jay Z richer than Dangote?

Jay-Z's fortune now ranks just below Aliko Dangote, Abdul Samad Rabiu, and Mike Adenuga, making him officially wealthier than Femi Otedola, the nation's fourth-richest man.

What race is the richest in the world?

While data varies, White and Asian households/individuals generally show the highest average wealth and income levels globally and in the U.S., with White households holding the majority of total assets, and Asian Americans having the highest median incomes, though significant internal disparities exist within all groups, including high concentrations of billionaires being White. 

How does Patrice Motsepe make money?

Meet Patrice Motsepe. He is a renowned South African🇿🇦 billionaire businessman, lawyer, and philanthropist. He is best known as the founder and executive chairman of African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), a leading mining company involved in gold, platinum, ferrous metals, and coal.

Who is the richest black girl in history?

Sarah Rector, also known as Sarah Rector Campbell and Sarah Campbell Crawford, (March 3, 1902 – July 22, 1967) was an American oil magnate since childhood.

Who is the highest paid black billionaire?

• 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.

Who is the richest black housewife?

Net Worth: $30 million

One of the richest “Real Housewives” is Kandi Burruss, who stars on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” Prior to becoming known as a “Housewife,” Burruss was a successful singer and songwriter.

Is Kanye West still a billionaire?

No, Kanye West (Ye) is generally not considered a billionaire by major financial publications like Forbes, who estimated him at $400 million after Adidas dropped him in 2022 due to his antisemitic remarks, though he has since claimed higher figures (around $2.77 billion) based on his Yeezy brand and music portfolio, which other entities like Eton Venture Services have supported, while Forbes has not confirmed these newer valuations.
 

Who is richer, Kim Kardashian or Oprah?

Oprah Winfrey - $3.1 billion 2. Kim Kardashian - $1.7 billion 3.

Who is the wealthiest actor?

The wealthiest actor title often goes to Tyler Perry, with estimates around $1.4 billion, due to his ownership of content and Tyler Perry Studios, though Arnold Schwarzenegger ($1.2-$1.49 billion) and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson ($1.19 billion) are also major contenders, with wealth from films, real estate, and business ventures. Jerry Seinfeld also ranks high due to "Seinfeld" residuals and Netflix deals, while Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan is India's richest. 

How rich is Chris Brown?

Chris Brown's net worth is widely estimated to be around $50 million, though some sources suggest figures from $50-80 million, with some outlets reporting as high as $100 million, stemming from his successful music career, extensive tours (like the $285M Breezy Bowl tour), brand endorsements (CBE, GKUA), clothing line (Black Pyramid), and real estate, with Forbes noting significant earnings in 2025.
 

Is Beyonce officially a billionaire?

Superstar singer Beyoncé has officially been declared a billionaire by Forbes magazine, joining a select group of musicians who have reached the milestone with a reported net worth of over $1 billion, the publication said Monday.

Who's richer, Drake or Eminem?

While net worths fluctuate, recent reports from late 2024/early 2025 suggest Drake is generally considered richer than Eminem, with estimates for Drake often around $250-$400 million, compared to Eminem's $250-$260 million, though some sources place Drake significantly higher due to music sales and ventures like OVO.