Black women, particularly those in the United States, must deal with both the gender and racial income gaps. According to Census Bureau data, for every $1 earned by the average white man in America, the average Black woman gets only 62 cents.
Despite these obstacles to prosperity, some women have amassed tremendous fortunes. Take a look at the top 10 richest Black women in the world in recognition of Black Women’s History Month.
The top ten wealthiest black women on the planet.
Serena Williams
Forbes estimates her net worth to be $225 million.
Serena Williams is a tennis legend who has amassed a wealth both on and off the court. According to Forbes, she has amassed $94 million in career prize money. Williams also owns stakes in the Miami Dolphins and the UFC, as well as a venture capital firm and a clothing line.
Janice Bryant Howroyd
Forbes estimates her net worth to be $285 million.
Janice Bryant Howroyd is the CEO and creator of ActOne, a workforce solution provider. She started the company in Los Angeles in 1978 with $1,500 and a $900 loan from her mother; according to Forbes, the company’s estimated revenue in 2017 was $950 million. Bryant Howroyd also owns a number of assets, including commercial and residential rental properties.
Wendy Appelbaum
According to Tuko, she has a net worth of $310 million.
Wendy Appelbaum is the sole child of Donald Gordon, the South African business magnate who founded the insurance and real estate giant Liberty Investors. She formerly worked at Liberty Investors as a director and was one of the company’s largest individual stockholders until she sold her shares to become cash-rich, Forbes stated. Appelbaum is a co-owner of a Stellenbosch wine vineyard and a co-founder and vice chairman of Women’s Investment Portfolio Limited, a company with over $150 million in assets.
Beyoncé
According to Celebrity Net Worth, she has a net worth of $500 million.
While Beyoncé is married to a millionaire, she has amassed considerable wealth on her own as a member of Destiny’s Child and as a solo artist. Along with earnings from album sales and tours, Beyoncé has accumulated wealth through her apparel line, Ivy Park.
Kenyatta, Ngina
According to Tuko, she has a net worth of $515 million.
Known as Mama Ngina Kenyatta, the widow of Kenya’s first president reportedly holds some of the country’s largest privately held land holdings. She owns around 500,000 acres of property in Kenya, which sells for an average of $1,000 per acre. Kenyatta and her family also own Brookside Dairies, the largest dairy company in Kenya, as well as investments in Kenyan television station K24, a timber company, and the Commercial Bank of Africa.
Rihanna
Celebrity Net Worth estimates her net worth at $550 million.
According to Forbes, the majority of Rihanna’s money stems from her business ventures rather than her music. Her primary source of revenue comes from her makeup business, Fenty Beauty, which she co-owns with luxury goods conglomerate LVMH. Additionally, she is a co-owner of the Savage X Fenty lingerie collection.
Hajia Bola Shagaya.
According to Gulsea.com, he has a net worth of $700 million.
Hajia Bola Shagaya is the founder and chief executive officer of Bolmus Group International, a Nigerian conglomerate having holdings in oil, real estate, banking, communications, and photography. According to Forbes, her group’s real estate development division develops and owns hundreds of luxurious residential buildings in some of Nigeria’s most affluent districts.
Sheila Johnson
Forbes estimates her net worth at $770 million.
Sheila Johnson is the co-founder of Black Entertainment Network, a cable television channel. She co-founded it with her then-husband Robert in 1979. Viacom acquired BET for $2.9 billion in 2001, and Johnson divorced and sold her shares a year later. She invested the proceeds in hotels in Florida and Virginia, including the Innisbrook resort in Palm Harbor, Florida, which hosts an annual PGA Tour event, as well as planes, real estate, and horses. Johnson is also a producer of films.
Folorunsho Alakija
Forbes estimates her net worth at $1 billion.
According to Forbes, Folorunsho Alakija is the vice chairman of Famfa Oil, a Nigerian oil corporation with partners including Chevron and Petrobras. Prior to founding Famfa Oil, Alakija founded a fashion company that drew clientele such as former Nigerian President Ibrahim Babangida’s wife.
Oprah Winfrey
Forbes estimates her net worth at $2.6 billion
Oprah Winfrey, the former anchor of a talk show who became a media mogul, reportedly invested $2 billion in her 25-year stint on her namesake show. Among the media properties in her empire are the cable channel OWN and the magazine O. Additionally, she recently agreed to a multiyear partnership with Apple TV+.
