Inspirational: The World’s 10 Richest Black Billionaires

It’s always refreshing to report on black excellence. As much as well known billionaires are mostly white people, we do have blacks who hold their own. Forbes compiled a top 10 list using stock prices and exchange rates to estimate the net worth’s of the world’s richest people, and then ranked them based on their wealth. Our Very own Motsepe made the cut. Check out the full list below.

10. Mohammed Ibrahim

Worth $1.14 billion, the Sudan born Self-made billionaire, is the 11th richest person in the world. The 71 year-old Mohammed Ibrahim became a billionaire after selling his telecommunications company, Celtel International, in 2005, according to Forbes. It is a good thing he improves the lives of African citizens through his Mo Ibrahim Foundation.

9. Michael Jordan

Sports is one of the most rewarding careers. 54 year old Michael Jordan, made a total of $90 million as a basketball player. The retired athlete is worth a whooping $1.31 billion. Jordan  also owns a stake in the Charlotte Hornets. He now makes more in one year than he did during his entire professional basketball career.

8. Folorunsho Alakija

Representing women well is Folorunsho Alakija who is worth $1.61 billion. She is the  vice chair of Nigerian oil company Famfa Oil. Folorunsho got her start in business as the founder of an elite Nigerian fashion label. Kudos to her for being a self-made billionaire.

7. Patrice Motsepe

At $1.81 billion, our very own business mogul Patrice Motsepe comfortably made the cut. He is the founder of the mining company African Rainbow Minerals, and was Africa’s first black billionaire. Patrice was also the first African to sign Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge, promising to donate at least half of his wealth to charity. Motsepe and his wife Precious created the Motsepe Foundation in 1999 to help create new jobs, support education, and improve the lives of children, the unemployed, and the disabled.

6. Robert Smith

Smith proves that you need to take risks in order to excel. He left Goldman Sachs in 2000 to start his own private equity firm, Vista Equity Partners and his coworkers thought he was crazy. But since then, his success and wealth has sky-rocketed, landing him on the Forbes Billionaire list. $2.5 billion worth Smith, added his name to the Giving Pledge earlier this year.

5. Oprah Winfrey

Queen of talk Oprah Winfrey, is the only African-American woman to make the Forbes billionaire list. Winfrey overcame a tough childhood to become the well-known and beloved media mogul she is today.  Earlier this year, Winfrey delivered the commencement address at Smith College, telling graduates the secret to success is serving others. She is worth $3 billion.

4. Isabel Dos Santos

Not only is she the wealthiest of the three woman to make this list, she is also the youngest black billionaire in the world.  44 year-old Isabel Dos Santos is the daughter of Jose Eduardo dos Santos, the president of Angola since 1979. Her fortune comes from multiple investments, many of which are controversial and linked to her father, according to Forbes, although Dos Santos worth $3.1 billion maintains her investments are private and independent.

3. Mike Adenuga

Nigerian Mike Adenuga, is chairman of telecommunications company Globacom, which has 36 million subscribers, as well as the majority owner of Lagos-based oil company Conoil, according to Bloomberg. While earning an MBA from Pace University in New York, he drove a taxi to pay the bills. Today, Adenuga, at $6.1 billion, is the second-wealthiest man in Nigeria, according to Forbes.

2. Mohammed Al Amoudi

71 year old Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi, is worth $8.4 billion. He moved from Ethiopia to Saudi Arabia when he was 19, and began amassing his fortune from government-contracts in real estate and construction. He now owns businesses across multiple industries, including oil, mining and agriculture, in Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Sweeden.

1. Aliko Dangote

At $12.2 billion, he is the wealthiest man in Africa. Nigerian Aliko Dangote,  has been CEO and president of Dangote Group for 35 years. The majority of his fortune comes from a more than 90% stake in Dangote Cement, Africa’s largest producer of cement, which is traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. He is also an active philanthropist, serving as chairman of The Dangote Foundation, which focuses on education, agriculture and health-related initiatives.