Meet America's Black billionaires
They're entertainers, media moguls, elite athletes, music artists, tech tycoons, and investors.
Stacker compiled a list of the 10 richest Black Americans using data from Forbes. Individuals were ranked by their overall wealth ranking, with the richest person taking the #1 spot.
America's Black billionaires represent an array of industries and business ventures; however, over half of those on this list made the bulk of their wealth in the sports or entertainment industries. The people on this list are worth $27 billion combined, which is a lot of money—but that's just one-eighth of the net worth of the world's richest person, Elon Musk, at an estimated $218 billion.
The United States is home to the most billionaires of any country represented on Forbes' list of 2,640 billionaires in 2023. And yet, of the 1,000 wealthiest people in the world, only two are Black Americans. This wealth gap results from long-standing practices in the United States that denied Black Americans the ability to accumulate wealth while their labor often contributed to the wealth of white Americans. This dates back to slavery and continued with discriminatory practices in the housing and labor markets that have never been fully redressed.
Despite these barriers, America's Black billionaires have risen to the top tiers of financial success.
#10. Tyler Perry
- Net worth: $1 billion
- Global wealth rank: 2,593
- Age: 53
- Source of wealth: Movies, television
Tyler Perry is a director, actor, producer, and writer who built his empire from movies and television. He owns 100% of his content, including the popular "Madea" franchise. Perry lives in Atlanta, where his 330-acre, 12-stage Tyler Perry Studios is located. Perry is currently one of Hollywood's biggest moguls, expanding his deals with both Netflix and BET in early 2024.
#9. LeBron James
- Net worth: $1 billion
- Global wealth rank: 2,537
- Age: 38
- Source of wealth: Basketball
Considered one of the all-time greatest basketball players, LeBron James is the first active NBA player to make Forbes' billionaire list. James started his NBA career at 18 years old with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he went on to play for the Miami Heat and his current team, the Los Angeles Lakers. Beyond basketball, James makes money through endorsement deals with Pepsi, Walmart, and Nike and has equity in Beats by Dre and Blaze Pizza. He currently has a $51.4 million contract option for the 2024-2025 season, which he could opt on in the summer of 2024; rumors emerged in February 2024 that he was working on a nine-figure deal with the Lakers.
#8. Tiger Woods
- Net worth: $1.1 billion
- Global wealth rank: 2,505
- Age: 47
- Source of wealth: Golf
Tiger Woods is considered one of the best golfers ever and is tied for first in PGA Tour wins. He is the second active athlete—after LeBron James—to make the Forbes billionaire list. In April 2024, Woods finished the Masters with the highest score of his three-decade-long career, but he'll soon set his sights on the PGA Championship in May, the U.S. Open in June, and the British Open in July.
Beyond golf, Woods makes money through his investments in real estate, a golf course design business, a high-end mini-golf chain, and TMRW Sports, a tech and sports venture he co-founded with plans to launch a new golf league.
#7. Tope Awotona
- Net worth: $1.2 billion
- Global wealth rank: 2,303
- Age: 42
- Source of wealth: Software
Tope Awotona is the founder and CEO of Calendly, a software company that automates meeting scheduling. Born in Nigeria, Awotona and his family immigrated to Atlanta when he was a teenager. He has a background in sales for tech companies and founded Calendly in 2013. As of 2024, Awotana is one of the richest immigrants in the United States.
#6. Alexander Karp
- Net worth: $1.8 billion
- Global wealth rank: 1,700
- Age: 55
- Source of wealth: Software firm
Alexander Karp is co-founder and CEO of Palantir, a software company specializing in big data analytics driven by artificial intelligence. Palantir does contract work for the Department of Defense, the FBI, and the Danish National Police, which use the platform for defense and intelligence strategy. In September 2023, Karp was named one of the most influential people in AI by Time magazine. He is originally from New York and grew up in Philadelphia; Palantir is headquartered in Denver.
#5. Michael Jordan
- Net worth: $2 billion
- Global wealth rank: 1,528
- Age: 60
- Source of wealth: Charlotte Hornets, endorsements
Michael Jordan is considered one of the all-time greatest basketball players alongside LeBron James. Jordan won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. A March 2024 report from Sportico found that Jordan is the highest-paid athlete of all time, with his inflation-adjusted earnings coming in at a massive $3.75 billion. Today, his wealth comes from owning the Charlotte Hornets NBA team, co-owning a NASCAR team, investing in DraftKings, and endorsement deals with Nike, Hanes, and Gatorade.
#4. Jay-Z
- Net worth: $2.5 billion
- Global wealth rank: 1,256
- Age: 53
- Source of wealth: Multiple
Jay-Z, whose name is Shawn Carter, is a multihyphenate and hip-hop's first billionaire. As of spring 2023, he is the only rapper to claim a spot on Forbes' real-time billionaires list. He is also a record producer and entrepreneur married to singer Beyoncé. Jay-Z's wealth comes from his fine art collection, music catalog, the Roc Nation entertainment company he founded, and various brand investments, including liquor, clothing lines, music streaming, a chain of sports bars, and more.
#3. Oprah Winfrey
- Net worth: $2.5 billion
- Global wealth rank: 1,254
- Age: 69
- Source of wealth: TV shows
Oprah Winfrey was the first Black woman billionaire in the U.S. and is the only woman on this list. The foundation of her wealth is her nationally syndicated talk show, "The Oprah Winfrey Show," which aired for 25 years starting in 1986. Winfrey leveraged her talk show into a media empire that now includes the OWN cable channel and Harpo Productions. Winfrey, born in Mississippi and raised in Milwaukee and Nashville, has made additional money as an actor and an investor in WeightWatchers.
She's also known for her philanthropy, which is what she says makes her the happiest. "That philosophy of sharing what you have, understanding that all things in life get better when you share it, and when you do something for someone else, the benefit comes back to you as well as to them," Winfrey told NPR in late 2023. "That's where I get my great joy.
#2. David Steward
- Net worth: $6 billion
- Global wealth rank: 431
- Age: 71
- Source of wealth: IT provider
David Steward is the founder of World Wide Technology, an IT provider that helps large companies with digital strategy and technology and supply chain solutions. Steward also co-founded Telcobuy, a spinoff of World Wide Technology that provides enterprise networking services and data security. In 2023, Steward's son founded Lion Forge Animation, which seeks to create racially diverse movies and TV shows. The billionaire was born in Chicago and grew up in Missouri.
#1. Robert F. Smith
- Net worth: $8 billion
- Global wealth rank: 266
- Age: 60
- Source of wealth: Private equity
The richest Black American is Robert F. Smith, who founded Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm that invests in software companies. Smith grew up in Denver and worked as a chemical engineer before earning his MBA. He started Vista Equity Partners in 2000, and it has posted annual returns of 30% every year. In April 2024, the firm raised over $20 billion for its new fund, its largest to date.
Data reporting by Elena Cox. Story editing by Jeff Inglis. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Abigail Renaud.
