Forbes has unveiled its 2024 ForbesBLK 50 list, celebrating the achievements of the wealthiest and most influential Black Americans. Three Nigerians—Adebayo Ogunlesi, Tope Awotona, and Wemimo Abbey—whose groundbreaking contributions and entrepreneurial successes, earned places on this prestigious list.
The ForbesBLK 50 is a reimagining of Forbes’ 2009 Wealthiest Black Americans list, which then featured figures like Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, and Magic Johnson.
A Nigerian by birth and now a U.S. citizen, Ogunlesi is a cofounder of New York-based private equity firm Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).
In October, GIP was acquired by BlackRock for $12.5 billion in cash and shares, with Ogunlesi remaining chairman and CEO of GIP. Today, Forbes estimates Ogunlesi—who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oxford, a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, and an MBA from Harvard Business School—has a net worth of $1.7 billion
Nigerian entrepreneur, Tope Awotona is also listed. Awotona, 43, is the founder and CEO of the scheduling software startup Calendly, which private investors valued at $3 billion in 2021.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Awotona moved to Atlanta when he was 15. Today, he is worth an estimated $1.4 billion.
Although not a ranking, Wemimo Abbey, at just 32, is the youngest Nigerian on the list. Abbey is cofounder and co-CEO of Esusu, a New York fintech startup that helps renters build their credit histories and scores by reporting rent payments to credit bureaus. More than 20,000 properties currently offer Esusu’s service and some 1.8 million Americans have used Esusu to record a rent payment.
Abbey, who grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, worked as a mergers and acquisitions consultant at PWC.
The ForbesBLK 50 list, launched under ForbesBLK, aims to go beyond net worth to measure impact and influence within the Black community and beyond.