Nine African-born billionaires now account for nearly half of the combined wealth held by America’s richest immigrant billionaires, highlighting the growing global influence of entrepreneurs with roots on the continent.
According to the latest Forbes ranking of America’s wealthiest immigrant billionaires, the nine African-born business leaders have accumulated a combined fortune of about $952.9 billion, representing approximately 43% of the $2.2 trillion wealth controlled by 144 foreign-born billionaires in the United States.
While African-born entrepreneurs represent only a small share of America’s immigrant billionaire population, their contribution to overall wealth is significantly amplified by the extraordinary fortune of South Africa-born Elon Musk, whose estimated net worth dominates the group.
The Forbes ranking shows that immigrant billionaires in the United States have reached record levels, with the number rising from 125 in the previous ranking to 144.
Their collective wealth has also surged from $1.3 trillion to $2.2 trillion, reflecting the growing economic impact of global entrepreneurs who built businesses after relocating to America.
Together, immigrant billionaires now account for nearly 15% of all billionaires in the United States and approximately one-quarter of America’s total billionaire wealth.
Africa’s representation on the list stretches across five countries — South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco and Kenya — with fortunes created across industries including technology, healthcare, private equity, media, consumer goods and software.
The continent’s representation increased from eight to nine billionaires following the addition of Kimbal Musk, the younger brother of Elon Musk, whose estimated $1.6 billion fortune earned him a place among America’s wealthiest immigrants.
Elon Musk Drives Africa’s Billionaire Wealth Share
The overwhelming majority of Africa’s contribution to the ranking comes from Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, whose estimated $927 billion fortune represents almost the entire combined wealth of Africa’s billionaire representatives on the list.
Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Musk has built one of the world’s largest business empires spanning electric vehicles, space technology, artificial intelligence and social media.
Other South African billionaires featured include Patrick Soon-Shiong, a physician and pharmaceutical entrepreneur with an estimated $9.8 billion fortune; Rodney Sacks, the executive behind Monster Beverage, valued at about $3.6 billion; and Kimbal Musk, an entrepreneur and Tesla board member.
Nigeria’s presence is represented by Adebayo Ogunlesi, a private equity executive whose estimated $2.4 billion wealth was built through infrastructure investments, and Tope Awotona, founder of scheduling software company Calendly, with an estimated fortune of $1.4 billion.
The remaining African-born billionaires include Egyptian-born media investor Haim Saban, worth about $3.3 billion; Moroccan-born hedge fund manager Marc Lasry, with an estimated $2.2 billion fortune; and Kenya-born technology entrepreneur Bharat Desai, whose wealth stands at approximately $1.6 billion.
The ranking highlights Africa’s growing role in shaping global entrepreneurship, with business leaders born on the continent building influential companies across some of the world’s fastest-growing industries.
While their numbers remain limited compared with other immigrant groups, their economic footprint demonstrates the potential of African talent in global markets.
1. Elon Musk (South Africa) – $927.0B
2. Patrick Soon-Shiong (South Africa) – $9.8B
3. Rodney Sacks & family (South Africa) – $3.6B
4. Haim Saban (Egypt) – $3.3B
5. Adebayo Ogunlesi (Nigeria) – $2.4B
6. Marc Lasry (Morocco) – $2.2B
7. Bharat Desai (Kenya) – $1.6B
8. Kimbal Musk (South Africa) – $1.6B
9. Tope Awotona (Nigeria) – $1.4B
Forbes