Dangote, Otedola, Adenuga, Rabiu included in Forbes billionaires list

Nigerian businessmen – Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, Mike Adenuga, and Abdulsamad Rabiu – have been listed in the Forbes 2024 billionaires list.

Forbes, on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, listed the billionaire businessmen as the top richest Nigerians in 2024.

According to the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires released on Tuesday, the three richest Nigerians are the President of Dangote Group, Dangote; Chairman of BUA Group, Rabiu; and Mike Adenuga of Globacom.

Forbes disclosed that the fortune of Dangote reduced slightly from $14.2 billion in 2023 to $13.4 billion.

Rabiu’s wealth also reduced to $5.2 billion in 2024 from $8.2 billion in 2023, while Adenuga’s fortune increased from $6.1 billion to $6.7 billion within one year.

Otedola, Chairman of Geregu Power, was however listed as a new entrant to the billionaire list with a total net worth of $1.4 billion.

On the list, Dangote ranked at number 144 was described as the richest man in Africa and the richest Black man in the world.

Otedola is Africa’s 20th richest billionaire as Dangote retains No 1

Adenuga was ranked at number 409 on the Forbes list, Rabiu was ranked at number 581, while Otedola made number 2,152 on the list.

Forbes disclosed that there are 2,781 individual billionaires globally, saying: “There are now more billionaires than ever: 2,781 in all, 141 more than last year and 26 more than the record set in 2021.

“They’re richer than ever, worth $14.2 trillion in aggregate, up by $2 trillion from 2023 and $1.1 trillion above the previous record, also set in 2021. Two-thirds of the list’s members are worth more than a year ago; only one-fourth are poorer.

“Much of the gains come from the top 20, who added a combined $700 billion in wealth since 2023, and from the U.S., which now boasts a record 813 billionaires worth a combined $5.7 trillion.

“China remains second, with 473 (including Hong Kong) worth $1.7 trillion, despite weak consumer spending and a real estate bust that helped wipe out $200 billion in wealth and knocked 89 billionaires from the ranks. India, which has 200 billionaires (also a record), ranks third.

“In all, 265 fresh faces are new to the World’s Billionaires. The richest of all is Italy’s Andrea Pignataro, a former Salomon Brothers bond trader behind financial software firm ION Group. He’s worth an estimated $27.5 billion.”

The Star