By Christiana Akinola (SIWES student, Polytechnic Iresi)
Johann Rupert, the 73-year-old chairman of Richemont, has overtaken Dangote to claim the title of Africa’s richest person, as reported by Forbes Real-Time Billionaires.
Dangote’s net worth dropped from $13.5 billion in 2023 to $9.7 billion in 2024, securing his second position, while Rupert, despite a wealth decline from $10.7 billion to $10 billion, claimed the top spot.
Notably, Abdul Samad Rabiu and Mike Adenuga also experienced reductions in their net worth, with Adenuga falling from 6th to 10th place as his net worth decreased from $6.3 billion to $3.1 billion.
Rabiu descended from 4th to 6th place as his net worth declined from $7.6 billion to $5.7 billion.
Bloomberg Billionaires Index, however, still recognizes Dangote as Africa’s richest man with $15.4 billion, while Rupert follows closely with a net worth of $12 billion.
Dangote’s substantial loss of $3.12 billion in June 2023 was attributed to Nigeria’s decision to float the local currency and unify its exchange rate system.
