By Edson Baraukwa | Africa Guardian
Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote has once again claimed the title of Africa’s richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Dangote, the 66-year-old founder and CEO of the Dangote Group—a conglomerate involved in cement, sugar, and oil—has surpassed South African billionaire Johann Rupert, who briefly held the top spot in late August.
As of September 7, Dangote’s net worth stands at $13.3 billion, reclaiming his position after Rupert’s fortune declined. Rupert, the chairman of luxury goods firm Richemont, previously enjoyed a surge in his wealth, reaching $14.3 billion and briefly becoming Africa’s richest man. However, his net worth has since fallen to $13.1 billion, putting him in the 147th spot globally, just behind Dangote, who is now ranked 159th in the world.
Dangote, who opened a new oil refinery in Lagos in 2023, has held the title of Africa’s richest person for 12 years until August. He has stated that he does not own any properties outside of Africa.
In the global rankings, the richest person remains Elon Musk, with a net worth of $237 billion. Musk, the founder of Tesla and Starlink and owner of the social media platform X, is followed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who has a fortune of $195 billion. Bernard Arnault, the founder of the fashion and cosmetics conglomerate LVMH, holds the third position with $181 billion. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft founder Bill Gates round out the top five, with net worths of $178 billion and $157 billion, respectively.
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