Three Nigerians have been recognized on the 2024 Forbes List of the most powerful, impactful, and wealthiest Black Americans. The honorees—Wemimo Abbey, Tope Awotona, and Adebayo Ogunlesi—all reside in the United States and have made remarkable contributions in their respective fields.
Wemimo Abbey: Pioneering Financial Inclusion
Wemimo Abbey, 32, is the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Esusu, a fintech company based in New York that focuses on helping renters build credit histories by reporting their rent payments to credit bureaus.
According to Forbes, Esusu’s services are available at over 20,000 properties, and approximately 1.8 million Americans have used the platform to record their rent payments. In 2022, Esusu achieved unicorn status, raising $130 million in funding at a $1 billion valuation.
Abbey’s journey is a testament to perseverance. Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, he experienced financial challenges, with his mother reportedly selling her wedding ring to fund his education in the United States. Before founding Esusu, Abbey worked as a mergers and acquisitions consultant at PwC and co-founded both a nonprofit and a data analytics startup.
Tope Awotona: Redefining Scheduling Software
Tope Awotona, 43, is the Founder and CEO of **Calendly**, a scheduling software platform valued at $3 billion as of 2021. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Awotona moved to Atlanta, Georgia, at 15.
He initially pursued computer science at the University of Georgia before switching to business and management information systems. After gaining experience in sales and launching a few unsuccessful startups, Awotona founded Calendly in 2013 out of frustration with the complexities of scheduling meetings via email.
Awotona took a bold step by cashing out his 401(k) to bootstrap Calendly, which he later scaled with a $350 million funding round in 2021. Today, Awotona has an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion.
Adebayo Ogunlesi: A Titan in Infrastructure Investment
Adebayo Ogunlesi, 70, serves as the Chairman and Co-founder of **Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP)**, a leading private equity firm headquartered in New York.
In a landmark deal, GIP was acquired by BlackRock in October 2024 for $12.5 billion in cash and shares, with Ogunlesi retaining his role as Chairman and CEO. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.7 billion.
Ogunlesi’s illustrious career began with academic excellence, earning degrees from Oxford University, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Business School. After clerking for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, he joined the New York law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore. He later spent over two decades at Credit Suisse before co-founding GIP in 2006.
The list of wealthiest Black Americans also includes cultural and sports icons such as Dr. Dre, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and philanthropist Gary Linnen, showcasing the breadth of Black excellence across industries.
