The Top 5 Famous Black Billionaires
.Kanye West – $1.8 Billion
Although Kanye West was the second Hip Hop artist to achieve billionaire status, he surpassed Jay-Z with a $1.8 billion fortune. According to our previous report, most of his net worth stems from his 100% stake in the Yeezy brand, which is tied to adidas, while the rest of his money is generated from his many investments, ranches in Wyoming, G.O.O.D Music record label, publishing rights and his own music catalog.
Tyler Perry – $1 Billion
Actor, writer, producer, playwright, director and all-around creator Tyler Perry came a long way from his humble beginnings. For over the past two decades, Perry went from an aspiring Hollywood star to one of the richest men in the industry on account of his 30 movies, 20 plays, and eight TV shows that continue to roll out, which we reported on earlier this year. Not to mention, his very Black-owned 330-acre studio lot is the largest in the country.
Oprah Winfrey – $2.7 Billion
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey began her career as news anchor and today is considered the most beloved media giants in the industry, with an empire of her own television network and a content creation deal with Apple TV+, INSIDER reports. Her great fortune also stems from several films that she’s starred in, including “The Color Purple,” “The Princess and the Frog,” “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” “Selma” and many more.
Michael Jordan – $1.6 Billion
Michael Jordan is regarded as the NBA’s greatest all-time player and has reached astronomical heights during his time in the league. Since retiring, he has dedicated his time to building up his billion-dollar fortune as one of the richest former professional athletes, AfroTech previously reported. He joined the billionaire club in 2014 after increasing his ownership stake in the Charlotte Hornets, according to Sporting News, and has remained on Forbes’ billionaire list for the past five years.
Robert F. Smith – $6 Billion
Billionaire Robert F. Smith is well known as a tech investor and philanthropist who founded and also serves as CEO of Vista Equity Partners — which focuses exclusively on investing in software companies. He made headlines back in May 2019 for paying off the student debt of the entire Morehouse College graduating class, Blavity previously reported.
