The number of Black billionaires worldwide has risen to 27 per Forbes, with a combined net worth of $121 billion, up from 23 worth $96 billion last year, according to Forbes.
The surge reflects the growing prominence of Black entrepreneurs across finance, entertainment, technology, and industry.
Hip-hop icon Dr. Dre has joined the list over a decade after selling the Beats headphones business he co-founded with Jimmy Iovine to Apple for more than $3 billion.
Forbes now estimates Dre’s fortune at $1 billion, noting his latest ventures include the spirits company Gin & Juice, co-founded with Snoop Dogg. “I’m always thinking forward,” Dre said in a 2024 interview with Stephen A. Smith. “I don’t live my life with a rearview mirror.”
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter also enters the billionaire ranks with an estimated $1 billion fortune earned from her music career, cosmetics, and apparel businesses. Her husband, Jay-Z, has been a billionaire since 2019 and is currently worth $2.8 billion.
Private equity newcomers David Grain of Grain Management ($2.3 billion) and Stefan Kaluzny of Sycamore Partners ($1.3 billion), as well as BET co-founder Robert Johnson, who returns to the list, round out this year’s additions.
One notable exit was Michael Lee-Chin of Jamaica, whose fortune fell below $1 billion.
The richest Black person on the planet remains Aliko Dangote, founder and CEO of the Dangote Group, West Africa’s largest conglomerate, with an estimated net worth of $28.5 billion.
He is followed by Palantir Technologies co-founder Alexander Karp ($13.4 billion) and IT entrepreneur David Steward ($12.4 billion), both Americans.
Other notable billionaires include Nigerian cement and sugar magnate Abdulsamad Rabiu ($11.2 billion), private equity powerhouse Robert Smith ($10 billion), and telecom tycoon Mike Adenuga ($6.5 billion).
Sports and entertainment figures feature prominently as well, from Michael Jordan ($4.3 billion) and LeBron James ($1.4 billion) to Tiger Woods ($1.5 billion) and Rihanna ($1 billion).
This growing cohort illustrates the increasing diversity among the world’s wealthiest, with their fortunes spanning industries from mining and telecommunications in Africa to entertainment and technology in the United States.
Collectively, these individuals not only represent economic success but also influence global business, culture, and philanthropy.
Below is the Forbes list of the 27 Black billionaires in 2026, with their net worth and industry/source of wealth:
1. Aliko Dangote – $28.5B | Cement, sugar
2. Alexander Karp – $13.4B | Software / Data Analytics (Palantir Technologies)
3. David Steward – $12.4B | IT services (World Wide Technology)
4. Abdulsamad Rabiu – $11.2B | Cement, sugar (BUA Group)
5. Robert Smith – $10B | Private equity (Vista Equity Partners)
6. Mike Adenuga – $6.5B | Telecom, oil (Globacom)
7. Michael Jordan – $4.3B | Sports, endorsements, Charlotte Hornets
8. Patrice Motsepe – $4.3B | Mining (African Rainbow Minerals)
9. Oprah Winfrey – $3.2B | Television, media
10. Jay-Z – $2.8B | Music, investments (MarcyPen Capital Partners)
11. Adebayo Ogunlesi – $2.5B | Private equity (Global Infrastructure Partners)
12. David Grain – $2.3B | Private equity (Grain Management)
13. Strive Masiyiwa – $2.1B | Telecom (Econet Group)
14. Magic Johnson – $1.6B | Sports, investments, entertainment
15. Tiger Woods – $1.5B | Golf, endorsements
16. Herriot Tabuteau – $1.5B | Healthcare (Axsome Therapeutics)
17. Tope Awotona – $1.4B | Software (Calendly)
18. LeBron James – $1.4B | Basketball, endorsements
19. Tyler Perry – $1.4B | Movies, television, media ownership
20. Mohammed Ibrahim – $1.3B | Communications (Celtel International)
21. Stefan Kaluzny – $1.3B | Private equity (Sycamore Partners)
22. Femi Otedola – $1.3B | Energy, utilities
23. Sheila Johnson – $1.2B | Cable TV, hospitality
24. Dr. Dre – $1B | Music, electronics (Beats by Dre)
25. Robert Johnson – $1B | Cable TV, sports (BET, Charlotte Hornets)
26. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter – $1B | Music, cosmetics, apparel
27. Rihanna – $1B | Music, cosmetics (Fenty Beauty)
