Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift and Sam Altman among record 590 U.S. billionaires too poor for Forbes 400 as Africa’s once-poorest billionaire nears $2 billion
Business Insider Africa • • business
Key Points:
- The minimum net worth required to enter Forbes' list of the 400 richest Americans has risen to $4.4 billion, a $600 million increase from the previous year, excluding several high-profile wealthy individuals.
- Celebrities and executives such as Oprah Winfrey ($3.4B), Taylor Swift ($2B), Sam Altman ($3.3B), Tim Cook ($3B), and Meg Whitman ($4.2B) fall short of the threshold and are thus excluded from the list.
- The number of American billionaires excluded from Forbes' list increased from 500 in 2025 to 590 in 2026, highlighting the rising wealth bar amid soaring U.S. stock markets and asset values.
- In contrast, Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola's net worth rose to $1.9 billion due to strategic share acquisitions in First HoldCo, the parent company of First Bank of Nigeria, boosting his stake to 25.88%.
- Otedola's financial growth, driven by deploying over N250 billion in personal funds and benefiting from the bank's $303 million nine-month profit, positions him near a $2 billion valuation despite missing Forbes' billionaire rankings last year.
