Despite the economic challenges facing Nigeria, Forbes has listed Nigerian businessmen, Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga, Abdulsamad Rabiu and Femi Otedola, as the top richest Nigerians in 2024.

Dangote’s fortune rose to $13.4 billion, Adenuga’s fortunes stood at $6.7 billion, while Rabiu and Otedola achieved a fortune of $5.2 billion and $1.4 billion in 2024, respectively.

Aliko Dangote is the richest man in Africa and the richest Black man in the world. He has an estimated networth of around $13.4 billion in 2024.

His business empire, Dangote Group, is one of the largest private-sector employers in Nigeria. Also, it is the most valuable conglomerate in West Africa.

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According to Forbes, it has been a year for the planet’s billionaires, whose fortunes continue to swell as global stock markets shrug off war, political unrest and lingering inflation.

Forbes said: “As with the economy in general, the money is concentrated at the very top.

“There are now a record 14 people who are members of the $100 billion Club, the elite group of people whose fortunes stretch into 12 digits.

“That is up from just one four years ago. These lucky few are worth $2 trillion in all, meaning just 0.5 per cent of the world’s 2,781 billionaires hold 14 per cent of all billionaire wealth.

“There are now more billionaires than ever: 2,781 in all, 141 more than last year and 26 more than the record set in 2021. They are richer than ever, worth $14.2 trillion in aggregate, up by $2 trillion from 2023 and $1.1 trillion above the previous record, also set in 2021.”

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It added that two-thirds of the list’s members are worth more than a year ago; only one fourth are poorer.

But region…

Much of the gains come from the top 20, who added a combined $700 billion in wealth since 2023, and from the U.S., which now boasts a record 813 billionaires worth a combined $5.7 trillion.

“China remains second, with 473 (including Hong Kong) worth $1.7 trillion. This is despite weak consumer spending and a real estate bust that helped wipe out $200 billion in wealth and knocked 89 billionaires from the ranks.

“India, which has 200 billionaires (also a record), ranks third.

“To calculate net worths, we used stock prices and exchange rates from March 8, 2024,” it added.

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The report said that “the richest of all is Bernard Arnault, who holds the number one spot for the second year in a row.

“The French luxury goods kingpin is worth an estimated $233 billion, $22 billion more than in 2023, thanks to another record year for his conglomerate LVMH. It is the company behind brands such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co. and Sephora.”

It added that “two-thirds of the planet’s billionaires are richer than a year ago.

“No one has gained more, in sheer dollar terms, than Mark Zuckerberg, who has benefited to the tune of a $116.2 billion jump in a single year. This is thanks to Meta stock nearly tripling amid cost-cutting layoffs and big bets on AI and the metaverse.

“Zuckerberg is number four on Forbes’ 2024 ranking, worth an estimated $177 billion, the richest he’s ever been. Oracle’s Larry Ellison, worth an estimated $141 billion, rounds out the top five.”