Three Nigerians Named Among Forbes Wealthiest Black Americans in 2024

Three Nigerians have been recognized on Forbes’ prestigious list of the most powerful, impactful, and wealthiest Black Americans in 2024. The honorees, all based in the United States, are Wemimo Abbey, Tope Awotona, and Adebayo Ogunlesi.

At 32, Wemimo Abbey is the Cofounder and Co-CEO of Esusu, a New York-based fintech startup that assists renters in building their credit histories by reporting rent payments to credit bureaus.

• Esusu’s Impact: The platform serves over 20,000 properties and has helped 1.8 million Americans record rent payments.
• Achievements: In early 2022, Esusu secured $130 million in funding, achieving a $1 billion valuation.
• Background: Abbey grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. His mother famously sold her wedding ring to fund his education and travel to the U.S. Before Esusu, Abbey worked as a mergers and acquisitions consultant at PwC and cofounded a nonprofit and a data analytics startup.

Tope Awotona, 43, is the Founder and CEO of Calendly, a scheduling software startup valued at $3 billion in 2021.

• Journey to Success: Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Awotona moved to Atlanta at 15. After studying computer science and later switching to business management, he worked as a salesman for tech firms.
• Founding Calendly: Frustrated with the inefficiencies of scheduling meetings, Awotona cashed out his 401(k) in 2013 to bootstrap Calendly. By 2021, the company raised $350 million to scale further.
• Net Worth: Forbes estimates Awotona’s wealth at $1.4 billion.

Adebayo Ogunlesi, 70, is the Chairman and Co-Founder of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a New York-based private equity firm specializing in infrastructure investments.

• Notable Milestone: In October, BlackRock acquired GIP for $12.5 billion, with Ogunlesi retaining his roles as chairman and CEO.
• Wealth and Education: Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.7 billion. Ogunlesi holds degrees from Oxford (BA), Harvard Law School (JD), and Harvard Business School (MBA).
• Career Highlights: After clerking for Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Ogunlesi worked as an attorney at Cravath, Swaine & Moore and spent over two decades at Credit Suisse before cofounding GIP in 2006.

The Forbes list also includes global icons such as Dr. Dre, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Gary Linnen, among others, highlighting their contributions to various industries and their wealth.

This recognition underscores the achievements of Nigerians in shaping global industries and their growing influence in the U.S. entrepreneurial and financial landscape.