Among them is Elon Musk... 9 African-American billionaires... Who are they?
Written by: Ayman Ragab
African billionaires in the United States come from five countries, with South Africans leading the way.
The number of billionaires born outside the United States rises to 144 with a combined wealth of $2.2 trillion.
A Forbes report titled “America’s Richest Immigrants 2026” revealed that the United States is home to 144 foreign-born billionaires, including nine of African descent, led by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk. The combined wealth of these African-American billionaires totals $952.9 billion, and they hail from five different African countries.
The report reflects the historical role of immigration in supporting the American economy, as the number of foreign-born billionaires rose from 92 in 2022 to 125 in 2025, and then to 144 in 2026. Their total wealth as of July 8, 2026, was approximately $2.2 trillion, representing 151 TP3T of the total number of billionaires in the United States.
Most notably, Elon Musk
Elon Musk, originally from South Africa, tops the list with a fortune of $927 billion, followed by Sergey Brin with $272 billion, and Jensen Huang with $176 billion. The combined wealth of these three alone represents approximately 601 TP3T of the total wealth of foreign-born American billionaires.
The report explained that the 144 billionaires come from 45 countries and territories, compared to 42 in the previous year, while the number of people of African descent rose to nine after Kimball Musk, Elon Musk’s brother, joined the list thanks to the increased value of his shares in Tesla and SpaceX.
The nine African-American billionaires hail from South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, and Morocco. While they represent only 6.251 TP3T of all foreign-born billionaires, they account for 43.321 TP3T of the total wealth, largely thanks to Elon Musk's immense fortune.
Musk alone accounts for 97.27% of the total wealth of African-American billionaires, with his fortune amounting to $927 billion, after exceeding $1 trillion last June, based on his shares in Tesla and SpaceX.
Patrick Soon-Shiong
Next is Patrick Soon-Shiong, who was born in South Africa, with a fortune estimated at $9.8 billion, which he amassed from the pharmaceutical industry before investing in media and sports, where he owns the Los Angeles Times and a stake in the Los Angeles Lakers.
Third on the list is Rodney Sachs, chairman of Monster Beverages, with a fortune of $3.6 billion, followed by Haim Saban, who was born in Alexandria, Egypt, with an estimated fortune of $3.3 billion, through his activities in media and investment.
The list also includes Nigerian Adebayo Ogunlesi with a fortune of $2.4 billion, who built his wealth through Global Infrastructure Partners before selling it to BlackRock in 2024, becoming one of the top executives and shareholders in the world’s largest asset management firm.
Moroccan presence
Moroccan-born Marc Lasry came in sixth place among people of African descent with a fortune of $2.2 billion, after founding Avenue Capital Group and making his wealth from investing in debt and distressed companies.
The list also includes Kenyan-born Bharat Desai, with a fortune of $1.6 billion, Kimball Musk with a fortune of $1.6 billion, and Nigerian Toby Otona with a fortune of $1.4 billion.
According to Forbes data as of July 8, 2026, Elon Musk tops the list of African Americans, followed by Patrick Soon-Shiong, Rodney Sachs, Haim Saban, Adebayo Ogunlesi, Mark Lasry, Bharat Desai, Kimball Musk, and finally Toby Ottonna.
