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Dangote, Adenuga, Rabiu, Otedola Make Forbes’ 2024 Billionaires List

Published

1 year ago

April 2, 2024

Editor

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.

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.”

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.

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.”

Headline

Again, Russia Claims Another Village In Ukraine’s Region

Published

12 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Russian army Monday claimed to have captured another village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, moving deeper into Ukrainian territory as peace efforts stall.

Russian forces are slowly but steadily gaining ground in costly battles for largely devastated areas in eastern and central Ukraine, normally with few inhabitants or intact buildings left.

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had seized the settlement of Zaporizke in the region, which Russian troops recently advanced into for the first time in the three-and-a-half-year offensive.

Kyiv denies that Russian troops have gained a foothold in the Dnipropetrovsk region, an important industrial hub.

After another push by US President Donald Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit, hopes for peace dimmed when Russia last week ruled out any immediate meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.

The central region of Dnipropetrovsk has previously been largely spared from fighting that has ravaged swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, until Russia said its forces broke through in July.

Dnipropetrovsk is not one of the five Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea — that Moscow has publicly claimed as Russian territory.

Ukraine said Russia had launched over 100 drones Monday, killing a 37-year old civilian driver and wounding two people in the northeastern Sumy region.

Moscow said Kyiv had launched about two dozen drones targeting western Russia

Headline

US Comedian Reggie Carroll Shot Dead In Mississippi

Published

12 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

A United States comedian, Reginald “Reggie” Carroll, has been shot dead in Southaven, Mississippi.

The 52-year-old Carroll, widely known as the Knockout King of Comedy, was reportedly killed on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.

The Southaven Police Department confirmed the incident in a Facebook statement on Saturday.

“Southaven officers located one male victim suffering from gunshot wounds.

“The officers and medical personnel provided life saving techniques but the individual succumbed to his injuries,” the statement partly read.

The victim was later identified as Carroll, a Baltimore native.

Police said one suspect was arrested and charged with his murder.

“One male is in custody and has been charged with the murder of Reginald Carroll.

“Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Carroll.

“Thank you to the community for their patience and understanding,” the department added.

The police further assured that there was no ongoing threat to residents, describing the case as “an isolated shooting.”

Carroll, who built his career in stand-up comedy, gained national recognition touring with Katt Williams and headlining his own showcase, Knockout Kings of Comedy.

He also featured in the 2000 edition of Showtime at the Apollo, appeared on the UPN sitcom The Parkers alongside Mo’Nique and Countess Vaughn, and starred in the 2022 television film Rent & Go.

In 2023, he produced the stand-up special Knockout Kings of Comedy.

The Southaven Police Department disclosed that an investigation into his death is ongoing.

Headline

US Defends New Social Media Vetting For Nigerian Visa Applicants

Published

12 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria on Monday reaffirmed that the safety and security of the United States remain the cornerstone of its visa application and decision-making process.

The US said this following its directive last week that mandates Nigerians to disclose all social media usernames and handles used over the past five years as part of the visa application process.

US Mission said Nigerian visa applicants must provide a comprehensive list of their social media profiles on the DS-160 visa application form, and warned that omitting the information could lead to visa denials.

Reacting to the development, the Federal Government said US citizens intending to visit Nigeria will be subjected to the same measures.

“The best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action. Some people from the US might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures,” spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said last Monday.

However, in a statement released Monday on X, the US Mission said prospective visa applicants undergo careful vetting to maintain a safe and welcoming environment in the US.

It said, “The safety and security of the United States is at the heart of every #USVisa application and decision process.

“That’s why prospective applicants undergo careful screening to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

The Mission added, “These measures help protect American citizens and communities while supporting secure and responsible travel.”