In the early 20th century, black women across the globe were exposed to menial jobs and were relegated to the background hence inhibiting their ability to create business and generate generous revenue but that is not the case in contemporary times as some black women have defiled all odds to enlist themselves among the world’s elite list of millionaires and billions. Read as we explore the top 10 richest black women in the world.

Oprah Winfrey

Sitting on top of the list of the richest black women in the world is the Queen of talk shows, Oprah Gail Winfrey. Opera is an American media executive, actress, talk show host, television producer and philanthropist. According to Forbes, as at 2020, Oprah’s net worth was pegged at $2.7 billion.

Isabel dos Santos

Isabel dos Santos, the second richest black woman in the world. she was the eldest daughter and child of former Angola president, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, whose reign began in 1979 to 2017. Isabel built her multi-billion empire from investment like; a 25% stake in Angolan mobile phone company Unitel and a 25% stake in Angolan bank Banco BIC SA. Other holdings include a substantial stake in Nos SGPS, a Portuguese cable TV company and just under 20% of Banco BPI, one of Portugal’s largest publicly traded banks.

Folorunsho Alakija

Folorunsho Alakija is third on the list of the richest black women in the world with an impressive net worth of $1.3 billion. Alakija is a Nigerian oil tycoon and a fashion investor.Folorunsho Alakija is vice chair of Famfa Oil, a Nigerian oil exploration company with a stake in Agbami Oilfield, a prolific offshore asset.

Haija Bola Shagaya

The fourth person on the list of the richest black women in the world is Nigeria’s  Haija Bola Shagaya. she is a businesswoman and a fashion enthusiast. She began her career with the audit department of the Central Bank of Nigeria before going into entrepreneurship in 1983.

Sheila Johnson

Sheila Johnson, fifth on the list of the richest black women in the world is an African American woman with a mouthwatering net worth of not less than $1 billion.She is the co-founder of BET, CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts, and the first African-American woman to attain a net worth of at least one billion dollars.
Johnson is team president, managing partner, and governor of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, a position she earned before the 2005 season.

Janice Bryant Howroyd

Janice Bryant Howroyd is the founder and CEO of ACT-1 Group and the first African American woman to run a billion-dollar business. Bryant built her impressive empire on the back of a $900 loan her mother gave her, a fax machine and a phone but today, she can boast of over 2,600 employees and 17,000 clients across 19 different countries globally.

Rihanna

Making the list as the seventh richest black woman in the world is pop star and R&B singer Rihanna. According to forbes, her net worth is pegged at $600 million. she makes her money mostly from music, fashion designing, acting and from some other businesses she prefer to be quiet about.

Beyonce

On the number eight spot is Beyonce. she is worth $400 million and makes her money largely from music and some other businesses she chooses to be quiet about. She has sold 75 million albums and over 118 million records as a solo artist, she is often described as one of the best selling artist in the world.

Serena Williams

successful tennis player, Serena Williams is one of the richest black women in the world with an impressive net worth of $200 million, making her the richest tennis player in the world. The 23-time Grand Slam winner has made a number of boss business moves. She launched Serena Ventures, an investment firm focused on companies founded by women and minorities, which has invested in 34 startups in a portfolio worth at least $10 million.