Ekeomah Atuonwu
Nigerian billionaires rose in the latest Forbes World’s Billionaire List, which compiles the fortunes of the world’s wealthiest people.
The feat was accomplished despite rising global prices caused by the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, saw his fortune rise from $11.5 billion in 2021 to $14 billion in 2022.
Nigeria’s second richest man, Mike Adenuga, increased his fortune from $6.1 billion to $7.3 billion.
The third Nigerian on the list, Abdulsamad Rabiu, saw his fortunes rise from $4.9 billion to $6.9 billion.
According to Forbes, “war, pandemic, and sluggish markets hit the world’s billionaires this year.”
“On Forbes’ 36th-annual list of the world’s wealthiest people, there are 2,668 of them—87 fewer than a year ago.” They are worth a total of $12.7 trillion, which is $400 billion less than in 2021.
The most dramatic drops have occurred in Russia, which has 34 fewer billionaires than last year as a result of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and China, where a government crackdown on tech companies has resulted in 87 fewer Chinese billionaires on the list.
Nonetheless, Forbes discovered over 1,000 billionaires who are wealthier than they were a year ago. And in the last year, 236 newcomers have become billionaires, including the first from Barbados, Bulgaria, Estonia, and Uruguay.”
In its estimation, America still leads the world with 735 billionaires worth a collective $4.7 trillion, including Elon Musk, who tops the World’s Billionaires list for the first time.
China (including Macau and Hong Kong) remains number two, with 607 billionaires worth a collective $2.3 trillion.
“We used stock prices and exchange rates from March 11, 2022 to calculate net worths,” Forbes said of its methodology.
LIST OF AFRICAN/ BLACK BILLIONAIRES
AFRICAN/ BLACK BILLIONAIRES
