13 Black Wives of Billionaires, All Are Powerful Women

Oprah Winfrey is one of a small group of black female billionaires with a net worth of $2.6 billion.

However, with more than 2700 billionaires living on the planet today, 88% are male. That can only mean that there are quite a number of black wives of billionaires.

Let’s take a look at some of these notable black women, many of whom have built successful careers in their respective fields.

Beyoncé

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles is one of the highest-grossing solo artists of all time, with a net worth of her own at over $440 million.

She is one-half of one of the world’s richest power couples. Beyoncé is married to Jay-Z, the first rapper to break the billionaire threshold.

Shawn Corey Carter is a rapper, songwriter, record executive, entrepreneur, and media mogul worth over $1.3 billion.

Jay-Z did not earn his fortune in the music industry alone. He has founded a clothing line and a luxury sports bar chain, both growing into multi-million dollar corporations.

His success as a businessman continues as Jay-Z has expanded his empire to include a media-streaming tech company as well as a line of cannabis products.

Beyoncé married Jay-Z in 2008. The couple has three children together, Blue Ivy and twins Rumi and Sir.

Mellody Hobson

Mellody Hobson is the wife of billionaire filmmaker George Lucas. With a net worth of $6.1 billion, Lucas earned his fortune with the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises.

Hobson is a very successful businesswoman in her own right. She was the chairwoman of DreamWorks Animation before assuming her role as President and co-CEO of Ariel Investments.

She also became one of the highest-profile corporate directors when she was named chairwoman of Starbucks Corporation, the first black woman to chair an S&P 500 company.

Forbes named Hobson one of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women in 2020.

Hobson and Lucas are another example of a power couple, achieving great success in two very different areas of business.

Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson was the tenth child born into one of pop music’s most famous families.

Having sold over 100 million records herself, Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists in the world.

Jackson met Qatari businessman Wissam Al Mana in 2010 and the two began dating. They married in a private ceremony in 2012.

Al Mana is a Qatari-born retail entrepreneur with a net worth of over $1 billion.

He built his net worth across many different sectors, including real estate, technology, engineering, media, and entertainment.

Al Mana is one of the Middle East’s richest retail investors. His brands cover areas in fashion, jewelry, and luxury goods.

In 2016, Jackson announced that the couple was expecting their first child together.

Jackson gave birth to a boy, Eissa Al Mana, in January 2017. The couple split up just three months later.

Precious Moloi-Motsepe

Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe was born in Soweto, South Africa. She would embark on a career in medicine, specializing in children’s and women’s health.

Moloi-Motsepe met Patrice Motsepe when they were attending college, and the two were married in 1989.

Motsepe became a billionaire businessman in the mining industry. He sits on several boards and, in 2021, was named the President of the Confederation of African Football.

They are considered to be South Africa’s wealthiest couple, with a net worth of $3 billion.

The couple has joined the Giving Pledge, a commitment to give half of their family wealth to charitable causes.

Today, Moloi-Motsepe is a philanthropist and fashion entrepreneur. She is a strong supporter of the African fashion industry as a way for women and young people to find a pathway to success.

Precious and Patrice have been together for over thirty years and have three children together.

Sheila Johnson

Sheila Crump Johnson is an American businesswoman with the distinction of being the first African-American woman to attain a net worth of at least one billion dollars.

She married Robert Johnson in 1969. Together they co-founded the Black Entertainment Network (BET) in 1980. When Viacom acquired BET in 2001, it made Johnson the first African-American billionaire.

He was also the first black majority team owner in the NBA with the Charlotte Bobcats.

Sheila Johnson went on to become CEO of Salamander Hospitality, a company she founded in 2005. The company oversees resorts in Florida and Virginia.

Johnson became the first African-American woman to be an owner or partner in three professional sports franchises: the Washington Mystics of the WNBA, the Washington Wizards (NBA), and the Washington Capitals (NHL).

The couple has two children together.

Angela Gisela Brown

Angela Gisela Brown married into the most independently wealthy royal family in Europe and became Princess Angela of Liechtenstein.

Born in Bocas del Toro, Panama, she was the first woman of African descent to marry into a reigning European dynasty.

Angela first met Maximilian von Liechtenstein at a private party in New York in 1997.

Brown is 11 years older than her husband. Her marriage to the prince had to be authorized by his father, the reigning monarch of Liechtenstein.

At their wedding, Angela wore a bridal gown she designed and a tiara that has been a Liechtenstein family heirloom since 1870.

Maximilian, a successful Harvard-educated investments executive, has a net worth of $7 billion.

Prince Max is the Chief Executive Officer of The Liechtenstein Global Trust (LGT Group), the world’s largest family-owned private banking and asset management group.

Angela and Maximilian welcomed a son, Prince Alfons Constantin Maria von Liechtenstein, in 2001.

Tsitsi Masiyiwa

Tsitsi Masiyiwa is an African social entrepreneur and philanthropist.

She married Strive Masiyiwa, a London-based Zimbabwean businessman with a net worth exceeding $1 billion.

He is the founder and executive chairman of the international technology group Econet Global.

Masiyiwa’s philanthropy has provided scholarships to young Africans over the past 20 years. He provides orphans with educational initiatives all over the world.

Tsitsi herself is Executive Chair and Co-Founder of Higherlife Foundation that primarily aims to help build thriving communities and sustainable livelihoods.

Tsitsi has become an important speaker on issues of youth empowerment, education, and leadership development.

The philanthropic power couple has six children together. They live in London, England.

Felicia Horowitz

Felicia Wiley grew up in a working-class family in Los Angeles.

She met her future husband, Ben Horowitz, on a blind date while attending college at UCLA. They married in 1988.

Ноrоwіtz іѕ аn Аmеrісаn buѕіnеѕѕmаn who made his money in high technology. After two years as Vice President for Netscape, he co-founded Loudcloud and then Opsware in 2002.

Today, hе is the со-fоundеr оf thе ѕuссеѕѕful venture саріtаlіѕt fіrm, Аndrееѕѕеn Ноrоwіtz. Аѕ оf 2022, Ноrоwіtz has аn еѕtіmаtеd nеt wоrth оf $3.5 bіllіоn.

Felicia continues to volunteer at Glide Memorial Church, known for providing a “safe space” for the Black Panthers in the 1970s.

The couple has been married for more than 25 years and has three grown children.

They reside in Atherton, California.

Thelma Steward

Thelma Steward has always been a giving person. She started her career as a registered nurse and has been helping people ever since.

In 1976 she married David Steward, an American businessman. He founded World Wide Technology, which grew into one of the largest African-American-owned businesses in America.

In 2019, Forbes named Steward one of 13 black billionaires worldwide with a net worth of $3.7 billion.

The couple has a keen interest in philanthropy, with a focus on children, families, and the arts.

Thelma’s work with the Variety the Children’s Charity St. Louis earned her the honor of Woman of the Year.

They have two children together, Kimberly and David.

Titi Adenuga

Titi Adenuga is the fashionable wife of the second richest man in Nigeria and the third richest person in Africa.

She met her billionaire husband, Chief Michael Adeniyi Agbolade Ishola Adenuga Jr, at the defunct Devcom Merchant Bank while she was job-hunting.

Adenuga is a Nigerian businessman in the mobile telecom and oil sectors of the Nigerian economy. His company Globacom is Nigeria’s second-largest telecom operator, also providing services in Benin and Ghana.

As of May 2021, Forbes has estimated his net worth at $6.2 billion.

Despite all of their wealth, the couple lives a relatively conservative lifestyle with their two children, Sade and Niyi.  

Naomi Campbell

Although technically not a “wife” of a billionaire, Naomi Campbell had a long-term relationship with billionaire Vladislav Doronin.

The supermodel first met the Russian real estate developer in 2008 and they had a relationship for five years. They broke up in 2013.

Doronin is a Russian businessman, art collector, and real estate developer with a net worth of $1 billion.

He is the President of a Russian real estate development and construction company that is centered on elite housing complexes. Furthermore, he is the owner of Aman Resorts, the trading entity of Aman Group Sarl which operates more than 30 luxury hotels in 20 countries.

Campbell is a British model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. She began modeling at the age of 15 and soon became one of the most recognizable and in-demand models of her generation.

In addition to her modeling career, Campbell has diversified into other aspects of the entertainment business. She released an R&B studio album and has made several acting appearances in film and television.

One such venture was the American modeling competition reality show The Face,with Campbell acting as supermodel coach and executive producer. Its popularity spawned offshoots in the UK, Australia, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

Campbell is also involved in various charitable causes. She created Fashion for Relief in 2005 to raise funds for children living in poverty.

Naomi did not have to marry Doronin to achieve financial security. Her net worth is estimated to be $80 million.

Angela Howard

Angela Howard met South Park co-creator Matt Stone in 2001.

She was one of the executives of Comedy Central, where Stone’s animated show, South Park, became a huge success. South Park’sintellectual property assets are currently worth over $1 billion.

Howard must have recognized her future hubby’s talents. Stone is not only an actor, writer, and producer of the hit series but also co-developed and composed the smash Broadway musical, Book of Mormon, with creative partner Trey Parker.

Howard and Stone married in 2008.

Although not quite a billionaire, Stone has an estimated net worth of $700 million.

Billionaire status may still be within reach for Stone. In 2021, Stone and Parker signed a mega $900 million deal to create six additional seasons and 14 movies of South Park.

They have two children together and live in Venice, California.

Grace Hightower De Niro

Grace Hightower De Niro is a philanthropist, socialite, actress, and singer. She married Hollywood heavyweight Robert De Niro in 1997.

Hightower is the CEO of Coffee with Grace. She is a board member of the New York Women’s Foundation as well as a member of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance.

Her philanthropy work takes a special interest in improving Rwandan livelihoods by marketing their products internationally.

Robert De Niro has had a successful movie career as an actor and director for almost six decades, earning him a net worth of $500 million.

Some of De Niro’s greatest roles came in critically acclaimed films such as The Godfather Part II (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), and Raging Bull (1980), which earned him his first Academy Award for Best Actor.

Hightower and De Niro separated in 2018.

Black Wives of Billionaires, Final Thoughts

As the saying goes, behind every great man is a great woman. And behind some of the world’s richest men, there are some great black women.

Some black wives of billionaires are successful and wealthy in their own right. Others support their husbands as they build their empires.

Black women have the power to do both.