Black billionaires

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Winfrey during her car giveaway to the entire audience.

A ""black billionaire" refers to a person that has both a net worth equivalent to at least $1 billion USD and a majority of ancestors that lived in a sub-Saharan Africa at least until 1492 – a date that marks the start of massive population movements.^{[[Citing sources citation needed]]}

According to Forbes international rich lists, Oprah Winfrey has been the world's only black billionaire since 2004, however black billionaires were rumoured to exist in the 20th century. In a 2000 internet chat the editor of Forbes stated "dictators like Mobutu and Sani Abacha (Nigeria) were probably billionaires when they were alive, but we never managed to get enough info on them to confidently put them on the Forbes list."

From 2001-2003 Black Entertainment Television founder Bob Johnson was also listed as a billionaire by Forbes magazine however following his divorce from wife Sheila, the magazine concluded that his fortune was split in divorce causing them to drop him from their list.
Black billionaires by year (wealth valuations by Forbes magazine)

Year Number of Black billionaires Number of all billionaires World's richest Black person World's richest person
1997 0, 1, or 2 259 Oprah Winfrey 0 million or Sani Abacha or Mobutu Sultan of Brunei billion
1998 0 or 1 230 Oprah Winfrey 5 million or Sani Abacha Bill Gates billion
1999 0 298 Oprah Winfrey 5 million Bill Gates billion
2000 0 322 Oprah Winfrey 0 million Bill Gates billion
2001 1 538 Bob Johnson .6 billion Bill Gates .7 billion
2002 1 497 Bob Johnson billion Bill Gates .8 billion
2003 2 476 Bob Johnson .2 billion Bill Gates .7 billion
2004 1 587 Oprah Winfrey .1 billion Bill Gates .6 billion
2005 1 691 Oprah Winfrey .3 billion Bill Gates .5 billion
2006 1 793 Oprah Winfrey .4 billion Bill Gates billion

Black billionaires

References

See also

Black billionaires by year (wealth valuations by Forbes magazine)
Year	Number of Black billionaires	Number of all billionaires	World's richest Black person	World's richest person
1997	0, 1, or 2	259	Oprah Winfrey 0 million or Sani Abacha or Mobutu	Sultan of Brunei billion
1998	0 or 1	230	Oprah Winfrey 5 million or Sani Abacha	Bill Gates billion
1999	0	298	Oprah Winfrey 5 million	Bill Gates billion
2000	0	322	Oprah Winfrey 0 million	Bill Gates billion
2001	1	538	Bob Johnson .6 billion	Bill Gates .7 billion
2002	1	497	Bob Johnson billion	Bill Gates .8 billion
2003	2	476	Bob Johnson .2 billion	Bill Gates .7 billion
2004	1	587	Oprah Winfrey .1 billion	Bill Gates .6 billion
2005	1	691	Oprah Winfrey .3 billion	Bill Gates .5 billion
2006	1	793	Oprah Winfrey .4 billion	Bill Gates billion