Female Billionaire Becomes World's Richest, Elon Musk Drops To 3rd, Dangote Loses Ground
- The list of the world's richest men has changed, with Heineken’s largest shareholder now ranked as the world's number-one
- Elon Musk has dropped to third place despite having a net worth of over $300 billion and earning $2.2 billion in the last 24 hours
- Africa’s richest man, Dangote, retained his position among the top 100 richest men in the world despite losing $9 million from his net worth
Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of business journalism experience with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.
Charlene de Carvalho, the largest shareholder in Heineken, saw an increase in her net worth to become the world's richest person.
According to Forbes' estimations, her net worth rose to $11.04 trillion on Wednesday, March 5, at the time of writing this report.
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She became the first person in the world to have a net worth of $11 trillion and the first female billionaire to top the chart, although her wealth is linked to her family.
Who is Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken?
Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken's wealth is thanks to her nearly 24% stake in beer giant Heineken N.V., the world's second-largest brewer.
Forbes reports that she inherited the stake in 2002 from her late father, longtime CEO Freddy Heineken.
Charlene, her husband Michel, sons Charles and Alexander, and daughter Louisa Brassey all sit on Heineken boards.
As of July 2024, her net worth was estimated at just $14.1 billion.
Dirk Rossmann and family, second richest
Forbes also reported that Dirk Rossmann is now the second richest person in the world as of March 5.
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As of Wednesday, Rossmann and his family's net worth is said to stand at a whopping $670.2 billion.
He owns a drugstore chain, a business he started at 25 years old, with annual revenues of around $13 billion.
Rossmann has made numerous private equity investments and owns a stake in the German Bundesliga soccer club, Hannover 96.
Elon Musk loses world's richest title
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has dropped to third place on the list of the world's richest billionaires.
According to Forbes, Musk's net worth stood at $349.8 billion as of Wednesday despite a wealth increase of $2.2 billion.
Since December 2024, Musk's wealth has decreased by over $100 billion, primarily due to a substantial drop in Tesla's stock value.
This decline is attributed to various factors, including concerns over Musk's political involvement and its impact on Tesla's market performance.
The net worth of the other top 10 billionaires is as follows:
- Mark Zuckerberg – $223.8 billion
- Jeff Bezos – $221.1 billion
- Larry Ellison – $196.6 billion
- Bernard Arnault & Family – $181.8 billion
- Warren Buffett – $154.9 billion
- Larry Page – $142.1 billion
- Sergey Brin – $135.9 billion.
Nigerian billionaires' net worth
Aliko Dangote continues to lead the list as the richest man in Nigeria and Africa.
Forbes reported that despite recording a $9 million loss, his net worth of $23.9 billion makes him the 87th richest man in the world and the only African in the top 100.
Aliko Dangote’s recent rise in net worth is largely attributed to his 92.3% stake in Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals.
By building Africa’s largest refinery, he disrupted the government’s monopoly in the oil sector, reshaping the industry.
The $23 billion refinery, which began operations in 2024, has significantly impacted both African and global energy markets.
Just weeks ago, the 67-year-old Kano-born billionaire reclaimed his spot among the world’s top 100 wealthiest individuals—a position he has held since 2018.
Other Nigerian billionaires' net worth as of Wednesday is as follows:
- Mike Adenuga - $6.8 billion
- Abdulsamad Rabiu - $5.2 billion
- Femi Otedola - $1.5 billion.
World richest ranking not for ‘most industrious’ - Analyst
Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken’s climb to the top of the world’s richest rankings shows that building wealth isn’t always about groundbreaking innovation—it can also come from holding onto a powerful family legacy, says financial analyst Ishaya Ibrahim.
“The world richest ranking is not a spot reserved for the most innovative or industrious persons,” Ibrahim told Legit.ng.
“Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, even our Dangote made the list by sheer industry or innovation. They didn't come with any family name and investment backing them," he added.
Ibrahim further pointed out that De Carvalho-Heineken, who inherited her wealth in 2002 after her father’s passing, was not previously among the world’s billionaires.
“Take note that Heineken is the most popular beer in the United States, Africa, and many parts of the world. So, having an entrenched family investment in this kind of brand is a natural wealth puller," he concluded.
Adebayo Ogunlesi’s wealth grows after new appointment
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Adebayo Ogunlesi's net worth jumped to $2.3 billion from $1.7 billion on January 15.
The rise in the Nigerian-American's net worth followed his appointment as one of OpenAI's directors on the board.
His investment portfolio, which is valued at over $1.8 billion, is the reason for the startling increase in his wealth.
Editorial assistant Ololade Olatimehin provided exclusive commentary from a financial analyst for this report.
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
