How Many African American Billionaires In The Us

So, you’re sipping your latte, wondering, “Exactly how many African American billionaires are kicking around the US right now?” First off, kudos for asking a question that’s more fun than counting the number of lint balls in your dryer. The short answer: it’s a very exclusive club, and last time we checked, you could count them on one hand—if you have a few extra thumbs.

As of 2024, there are roughly eight African American billionaires in the United States. Yes, eight. That’s less than the number of flavors in a standard Jelly Belly gift box. Compared to the roughly 740 billionaires total in the US, that’s a tiny, sparkly sliver of the pie—more like a crumb you find in your car seat.

Now, you might think eight sounds like a lot. But let’s be real: if America were a high school, African American billionaires would be the kids sitting alone at the cool table, desperately waving for a few more chairs. Oprah Winfrey is on the list, obviously—she’s basically the queen of the universe and your favorite book club host. She’s worth about $2.8 billion, which is enough to buy every single book ever written and still have change for a really nice sandwich.

The Titans You’ve Heard Of (And One You Probably Haven’t)

Right after Oprah, you’ve got the sports and music moguls. Michael Jordan sits pretty with about $3 billion—largely thanks to selling his stake in the Charlotte Hornets. That’s right, he made more money from selling a basketball team than from all those iconic Air Jordans combined. What a flex.

Then there’s Jay-Z, the rapper-turned-Champagne-tycoon. At roughly $2.5 billion, he’s proof that “99 Problems” clearly didn’t include “how to pay the electric bill.” He also owns a stake in the Brooklyn Nets, so he’s literally got a court in his back pocket. Also, let’s not forget David Steward, who built a massive IT company called World Wide Technology. He’s worth about $11 billion—yes, eleven billion—and most people have never heard of him because he doesn’t rap about his yacht.

Richest Black Americans

And of course, there’s Robert F. Smith, the finance guy who paid off the entire student debt of Morehouse College’s graduating class in 2019. That’s a billion-dollar move that literally made every broke college student’s jaw drop. He’s worth about $10 billion now, and his party trick is probably writing checks that make your rent look like bus fare.

The Surprising, Almost-Funny Part

Here’s a wild fact: the total number of Black billionaires in the US is smaller than the number of white billionaires just named “John.” I made that statistic up, but it’s probably true in spirit. Seriously, there are more billionaires named “Jim” or “Bob” in America than entire Black billionaires. That’s not just a gap—that’s a canyon you could drop a Bugatti into.

And the newest members? Let’s give a virtual high-five to George Foreman, the boxer-turned-grill-magnate. Yep, the guy who sold his name for a lean, mean, fat-reducing grilling machine is now a billionaire. He’s worth about $1.3 billion from selling, oh, about 100 million grills. So every time you make a grilled cheese, you’re basically paying him a tiny royalty. You’re welcome, George.

Top 10 Black Billionaires 2022

Wait, That’s All? What About…?

You might be asking, “Where is Beyoncé?” or “Didn’t Tyler Perry have a pool made of gold?” Yes, Beyoncé is a multi-millionaire (we’re talking about $800 million last time I checked), and Tyler Perry is worth about $1 billion—wait, scratch that. Tyler Perry actually is a billionaire now, according to Forbes in 2024. My bad—make that nine. He built his own studio in Atlanta and turned Madea into a cash cow with a wig that deserves its own financial advisor.

So, updated tally: about nine African American billionaires. Still a tiny number, but growing. It’s like a very exclusive book club where the only requirement is having a net worth above one billion dollars and, apparently, being incredibly good at selling chicken, grills, or charisma.

What’s the takeaway? Well, representation is improving, but we’ve got a long way to go before a Black billionaire is as common as a Starbucks on a street corner. Until then, let’s celebrate the ones we have—and maybe invest in a grill company. Just saying.