Forbes has unveiled its 2024 ForbesBLK 50 list, celebrating the achievements of the wealthiest and most influential Black Americans.
Among the honorees are three Nigerians—Adebayo Ogunlesi, Tope Awotona, and Wemimo Abbey—whose groundbreaking contributions and entrepreneurial successes have earned them places on this prestigious list.
The Forbes BLK 50 is a reimagining of Forbes’ 2009 Wealthiest Black Americans list, which then featured figures like Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, and Magic Johnson.
While net worth remains a core metric, the new list also highlights innovation, societal impact, and leadership across diverse industries.
What Forbes said
Adebayo Ogunlesi, with a net worth of $1.7 billion, stands out as a pioneering force in global infrastructure investment. As chairman and cofounder of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), Ogunlesi led the private equity firm through a transformative acquisition by BlackRock in 2024 for $12.5 billion.
Ogunlesi, a Harvard-educated lawyer and banker, previously spent over two decades at Credit Suisse before launching GIP in 2006.
His influence extends beyond business, as he has become a key figure in reshaping infrastructure investment on a global scale.
Also, Nigerian entrepreneur, Tope Awotona, the founder and CEO of Calendly, has redefined efficiency in scheduling and holds a net worth of $1.4 billion.
Born in Lagos, Awotona moved to Atlanta as a teenager and pursued business and management information studies at the University of Georgia. After early entrepreneurial setbacks, he launched Calendly in 2013, driven by frustration with cumbersome meeting coordination. The platform, which raised $350 million in 2021, is now valued at $3 billion and serves millions of users worldwide.
Although not a ranking, Wemimo Abbey, at just 32, is the youngest Nigerian on the list and cofounder of Esusu, an African fintech company addressing financial inclusion.
Esusu helps renters build credit by reporting rent payments to credit bureaus, a service utilized by more than 20,000 properties and benefiting 1.8 million Americans.
In 2022, Esusu achieved a $1 billion valuation following a $130 million funding round. Abbey, who grew up in Lagos, has a background in mergers and acquisitions consulting and a passion for leveraging technology to drive social impact.
These three Nigerians show innovation, resilience, and the drive to address pressing global challenges. Their inclusion on the ForbesBLK 50 list is a foretelling of their entrepreneurial vision and the increasing influence of Nigerians on the global stage.
The ForbesBLK 50 list, launched under ForbesBLK, aims to go beyond net worth to measure impact and influence within the Black community and beyond.
[Nairametric]