LeBron, Oprah, Rihanna and Other Black Billionaires on Forbes’ List of Super Rich Celebs

We live in a world with an extraordinary wealth gap. The Grand Canyon sized chasm between the super rich and the rest of us seems to grow larger every day. And for Black folks, that wealth gap only gets bigger. According to Bloomberg, in 2022, single Black women who’ve never been married hold “eight cents for every dollar in median wealth owned by a White man.” That’s a staggering wealth divide for Black women, but sadly unsurprising.

Despite changing opinions on the uber rich, we’re still fascinated by billionaires. We’re particularly interested in celebrity billionaires. Sure, it’s aspirational. But there’s also the idea that they live a life most of us can never fathom. It’s essentially an alien world to regular people. That fascination is so strong, Forbes recently came out with its list of the top celebrity billionaires. Of the 14 names on the list, eight of them were Black, so you know we’re highlighting the top Black celeb billionaires.

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Michael Jordan – $3.2 Billion

“Star Wars” creator George Lucas topped the list with a net worth of $5.5 billion. He was followed by famed filmmaker Steven Spielberg with $4.8 billion. At No. 3, the top Black celeb on the list is legendary basketball star Michael Jordan with $3.2 billion. A big chunk of his wealth comes from his 2023 sale of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets for $3 billion. And of course, he’s been extremely successful with his Jordan brand partnership with Nike.

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Oprah Winfrey – $2.8 Billion

Coming in behind Jordan is media mogul Oprah Winfrey with $2.8 billion. It will be interesting to see how her exit from Weight Watchers affects her portfolio in the long run, but something tells us Oprah will still be just fine. She’s got her cable network OWN, O: The Oprah Winfrey Magazine, Harpo Productions, as well as other investments. She may be somewhat polarizing nowadays, but we can’t deny how inspirational it’s been to watch her build her empire as the world bet against her.

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Jay-Z – $2.5 Billion

Talk about a rags to riches story. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter started out as one of the greatest artists in hip-hop history, then transitioned into a music executive. Now with Roc Nation, he’s built an entertainment empire. Selling his stakes in his champagne and cognac brands have also boosted his net worth. Even with all this success, we still wonder if he’s completely done with music.

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Tyler Perry – $1.4 Billion

The filmmaker is one of the few people on this list who has made the majority of his fortune from his actual chosen career. From stage plays, to movies, to TV series, he seems to have a midas touch that turns every project into gold. The quality of said projects may be in question, but their profitability certainly isn’t.

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Rihanna – $1.4 Billion

We may be constantly begging the “We Found Love” singer for a return to music, but she seems happy with her life as a mogul. And why wouldn’t she be with Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty making her a major player in the beautyfashion space?

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Tiger Woods – $1.3 Billion

Due to his February 2021 car accident, Tiger Woods’ golf career may not be what it once was, but he’s still one of the richest athletes in the world. Most of his wealth comes from endorsement deals, but the sports world was rocked in January when it was announced that his 30 year partnership with Nike would be ending. Tiger is now launching Sun Day Red, his own clothing line.

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LeBron James – $1.2 Billion

LeBron James has played coy about when he’ll actually retire from the NBA, but when it does officially happen, he has a wide variety of businesses to get involved in for his second chapter. In addition to his production company, Springhill Entertainment, he’s also invested in Blaze Pizza and Fenway Sports Group, which owns the MLB’s Boston Red Sox, the Premier League’s Liverpool F.C. and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. No matter when he leaves basketball, it seems like the King will still have his hand in the sports world.

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Magic Johnson – $1.2 Billion

Magic Johnson paved the road for how athletes handles post-retirement life. He started by investing in Black communities throughout the Los Angeles area, then moved into sports ownership. He’s part of ownership groups for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks; MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers; the MLS’ LAFC; and the NFL’s Washington Commanders.

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