Coming from nothing and making it into the world is the ultimate American dream, based on the perennial rags-to-riches story. Yet becoming a billionaire does not only require persistence, ambition and talent, it also sometimes means access to opportunities and a good dash of luck.
Despite black people being few among the world’s billionaires, they are notable – including the amazing Michael Jordan, who became the world’s first billionaire athlete. Here are the top five richest black people alive today.
3. Robert F. Smith – $4.4 billion
The first American on the list, Robert Smith was well into his fifties when he left his career with Goldman Sachs to establish his very own private equity and venture capital firm, Vista Equity Partners. The company that he started in 2000 has since grown to more than 280 employees and holds $31 billion in managed assets. Beyond his business, he is also very active in charity and philanthropy – having served on the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Hall since 2013, he was recently elected as Chairman of the Board.
