You have probaly heard of the term, ‘Old Money.” There are several billionaires who come from, ‘old money’. People who didn’t have to sweat a lot for what they have. On there other hand, there are some who’ve gone through a lot to be where they are. These are the self-made. Aspiring entrepreneurs often look up to these self-made billionaires for inspiration and guidance. These individuals have built their empires from scratch, through hard work, perseverance, and a clear vision.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most successful self-made billionaires from different continents, including Asia, America, Africa, and Europe.
Asian Self-Made Billionaires:
Asia is home to some of the world’s richest self-made billionaires, including Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group, Mukesh Ambani and Masayoshi Son, founder of SoftBank. Most of these entrepreneurs started their companies from scratch and overcame significant challenges when their countries were under developed to build their empires. In fact, currently Asia is churning out a lot of millionaires and Billionaires as the economies of the different Asian countries grow.
Jack Ma, a former English teacher in China, founded Alibaba Group in 1999. Today, the company is one of the world’s largest e-commerce platforms. Before Ma fell out of favour from the Chinese Communist Party his success had earned him a net worth of $62.3 billion, according to Forbes. Today he is worth about $23 Billion and is no longer the face of the company after he was forced to step aside. Ma is also no longer active on social media as he used to and has decided to live a quite life often moving around Asian countries.
Next up is Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries, a conglomerate with interests in petrochemicals, refining, oil and gas exploration, and telecommunications. Ambani is the richest man in Asia, with a net worth of over $80 billion. He inherited Reliance Industries from his father but has since expanded the company’s reach and diversified its interests
Masayoshi Son is another self-made billionaire from Asia who has built an impressive empire. In fact, if you look at his wikipedia profile, you will realise how far Masayoshi has come. He founded SoftBank in 1981 and turned it into one of the world’s largest technology investment firms. Under his leadership, SoftBank has invested in companies like Uber, WeWork, and Arm Holdings. Son’s net worth is currently estimated at $21 billion.
American Billionaires:
When it comes to self-made billionaires, America probably has the most notable self-made billionaires. They cut across every field from tech to sports to entertainment and media. Some of the most notable including Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, Musicians Jay-Z and Rihanna, Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook among others. These entrepreneurs started their companies from scratch and built them into global giants.
Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994 as an online bookstore, and over the years, he expanded the company’s offerings to include everything from electronics to clothing. Today, Amazon is one of the world’s largest companies. Bezos’ net worth is currently estimated to be around $116 billion as at the publishing of this article. Amazon’s reach today is in almost every sector that uses internet.
Oprah Winfrey, is a renowned media mogul and philanthropist. Winfrey was born into poverty in Mississippi but rose to fame as the host of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Her story is both emotional and inspirational. She has since built an empire that includes a TV network, a magazine, and a book club. Winfrey’s net worth is estimated to be around $2.7 billion.
There can never be an American self-made story without Mark Zuckerberg. He founded Facebook in 2004, and the social media platform has since grown to have over 2.8 billion monthly active users. Zuckerberg’s net worth is currently estimated at $61 billion.
Make sure to read this article on 5 US Billionaires to follow on social media
African Self-Made Billionaires:
If you can make it in Africa, you probably can make it anywhere in the world. Becoming a billionaire in Africa is no mean task as you will have to contend with a lot of corruption and political pressure. That’s why for these self-made billionaires it has taken more than luck to be where they are.
Aliko Dangote, for example, is the richest person in Africa and one of the richest self-made billionaires in the world. He founded Dangote Group in 1981 and turned it into one of Africa’s largest conglomerates, with interests in cement, sugar, and other industries.
Mike Adenuga is another self-made billionaire from Africa who has built an impressive empire. He is the second richest man in Nigeria after Dangote. He founded Globacom, a telecommunications company, in 2003 and turned it into one of the largest mobile phone networks in Nigeria. Adenuga is also the owner of Conoil, an oil exploration company. His net worth is currently estimated at $6.1 billion.
Strive Masiyiwa is a Zimbabwean entrepreneur and founder of Econet Wireless, a telecommunications company. If there is an inspirational story that needs to be studied by everyone its that of Masiyiwa. He is also involved in several other businesses, including renewable energy and financial services. Masiyiwa is very active on social media more so Facebook where he talks about business ideas and how to be a successful entrepreneur.
Patrice Motsepe is a South African mining magnate and founder of African Rainbow Minerals. He has also invested in several other businesses, including a private equity firm and a soccer team. Motsepe is worth an estimated $2.3 billion as of this year.
European Self-Made Billionaires:
Europe is home to several billionaires who have built successful empires.
One such man is Bernard Arnault the CEO of LVMH, the parent company of luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Bulgari. He started his career in the construction industry and eventually moved into the luxury goods sector. Arnault started 2023 as the richest person in the world, with a net worth of over $200 billion.
Amancio Ortega is a Spanish billionaire and the co-founder of Inditex, the parent company of fast-fashion brand Zara. He started his career as a delivery boy for a clothing store and eventually built his own company. Ortega is now worth about $74 billion, according to Forbes.
Another European self-made billionaire worth mentioning is Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA. Kamprad started the company in 1943 and turned it into one of the world’s largest furniture retailers. His net worth at the time of his death in 2018 was estimated at $58.7 billion.
Conclusion:
These self-made billionaires from different continents have built their empires through hard work, perseverance, and a clear vision. They serve as great examples for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to build successful businesses. Check out this article on How Build Wealth Like A Billionaire
