By John Ogunsemore
Majority of Nigerians do not grasp the scale of world’s wealthiest black man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s wealth because of his family’s modest way of life, presidential aide, Gimba Kakanda has said.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Research & Analytics stated this in an X post on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, American business magazine, Forbes released its highly-anticipated 2025 billionaires list.
This year’s list featured 3,028 billionaires, the most since the list’s inception in 1987.
On Saturday, the 2025 Forbes’ Africa billionaires list was released, with Dangote, Femi Otedola, Mike Adenuga, and Abdulsamad Rabiu being the only Nigerians to make the cut.
Dangote, who is President of Dangote Group, clinched the 83rd spot globally and first in Africa with an estimated networth of $23.9 billion.
Kakanda said that many Nigerians do not appreciate the sheer scale of Dangote’s enormous fortune because his children do not show off on social media like some children of his peers.
He said, “We don’t seem to grasp the scale of Dangote’s wealth. If materialistic ostentation were the measure of wealth, even Cubana Chief Priest or some social media riffraff role-playing a billionaire would be considered richer than Dangote, simply because of the fleets of cars and luxurious possessions they flaunt.
“No number of Ferraris can override the practical data accessed by Forbes, nor is the sovereign wealth of a state, which some of these Arabs flaunt, a valid comparison to a businessman’s portfolio.
“The wealthiest Arab listed on Forbes’ 2025 ranking, as I understand, is the well-known Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, with a net worth of $16.5 billion—far less than Dangote’s $23.9 billion.”
He added, “Maybe if Dangote’s kids were loud show-offs like some of those Arab heirs whose lifestyles have misled you into believing an Arab is wealthier than Dangote—or even like some of our politicians’ children, or that Terry Waya son from Big Brother Naija—you’d be more nuanced in your opposition to the claim.
“Dangote’s family is among the most modest you’ll ever find in a billionaire of his rank.”