₦airaland Forum

Two Nigerian-born entrepreneurs, Adebayo “Bayo” Ogunlesi and Tope Awotona, have landed on the prestigious Forbes 2025 list of America’s Richest Immigrants — and their success stories are nothing short of inspiring. Eyes Of Lagos reports,

Out of 125 billionaires from 41 countries, these two Nigerians are flying the green-white-green flag high in the world of finance and technology.
Meet the Billionaire Duo:

1. Adebayo Ogunlesi – $2.4 Billion
Ranked 77th, Ogunlesi made his fortune in private equity, particularly through his leadership at Global Infrastructure Partners, where he’s made high-stakes deals in aviation, energy, and infrastructure.

Fun fact: He once served as an advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump. But trust Nigerians — we’re not surprised. Bayo has always played in the big leagues.

2. Tope Awotona – $1.4 Billion
Coming in at 106th, Awotona is the founder of Calendly, the popular scheduling app used by millions across the globe. He built it from scratch — and did we mention it started as a side hustle?

Tope’s journey from Lagos to the heart of Silicon Valley shows that tech money no dey discriminate — just bring sense, code, and ambition.

The Bigger Picture: Immigrant Hustle is Real
According to Forbes, 93% of the immigrants on the list are self-made, building their wealth from scratch in industries like:

Tech

Finance

Pharmaceuticals

Energy drinks (yes, really)

From Elon Musk to Jay Chaudhry, immigrant billionaires now make up 14% of all U.S. billionaires, controlling 18% of total billionaire wealth.

Africa Representing Strong
Aside from Nigeria, Africa is holding its own:
Elon Musk (South Africa) – $393.1B

Patrick Soon-Shiong (South Africa) – $5.6B

Rodney Sacks (South Africa) – $3.6B

Haim Saban (Egypt) – $3.1B

Marc Lasry (Morocco) – $1.9B

Bharat Desai (Kenya) – $1.6B

Together, these names prove that the immigrant mindset — built on resilience, hustle, and smart risk — continues to shape the U.S. economic story.

Top 10 America’s Richest Immigrants (2025)
Elon Musk – $393.1B

Sergey Brin – $139.7B

Jensen Huang – $137.9B

Thomas Peterffy – $67.9B

Miriam Adelson & Family – $33.4B

Rupert Murdoch & Family – $24B

Peter Thiel – $21.8B

Jay Chaudhry – $17.9B

Jan Koum – $16.9B

John Tu – $14.1B

Final Thoughts

As Lagosians, we love to see it: Naija no dey carry last, especially when it comes to global money moves. Ogunlesi and Awotona prove that with grit and grace, the world is our market.

lagostrendboy:
🌍 Big Win for Nigeria on the Global Stage

Two Nigerian-born entrepreneurs, Adebayo “Bayo” Ogunlesi and Tope Awotona, have landed on the prestigious Forbes 2025 list of America’s Richest Immigrants — and their success stories are nothing short of inspiring. Eyes Of Lagos reports,

Out of 125 billionaires from 41 countries, these two Nigerians are flying the green-white-green flag high in the world of finance and technology.
💼 Meet the Billionaire Duo:
1. Adebayo Ogunlesi – $2.4 Billion

Ranked 77th, Ogunlesi made his fortune in private equity, particularly through his leadership at Global Infrastructure Partners, where he’s made high-stakes deals in aviation, energy, and infrastructure.

Fun fact: He once served as an advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump. But trust Nigerians — we’re not surprised. Bayo has always played in the big leagues.
2. Tope Awotona – $1.4 Billion

Coming in at 106th, Awotona is the founder of Calendly, the popular scheduling app used by millions across the globe. He built it from scratch — and did we mention it started as a side hustle?

Tope’s journey from Lagos to the heart of Silicon Valley shows that tech money no dey discriminate — just bring sense, code, and ambition.
🌟 The Bigger Picture: Immigrant Hustle is Real

According to Forbes, 93% of the immigrants on the list are self-made, building their wealth from scratch in industries like:

Tech

Finance

Pharmaceuticals

Energy drinks (yes, really)

From Elon Musk to Jay Chaudhry, immigrant billionaires now make up 14% of all U.S. billionaires, controlling 18% of total billionaire wealth.
🇿🇦 Africa Representing Strong

Aside from Nigeria, Africa is holding its own:

Elon Musk (South Africa) – $393.1B

Patrick Soon-Shiong (South Africa) – $5.6B

Rodney Sacks (South Africa) – $3.6B

Haim Saban (Egypt) – $3.1B

Marc Lasry (Morocco) – $1.9B

Bharat Desai (Kenya) – $1.6B

Together, these names prove that the immigrant mindset — built on resilience, hustle, and smart risk — continues to shape the U.S. economic story.
💰 Top 10 America’s Richest Immigrants (2025)

Elon Musk – $393.1B

Sergey Brin – $139.7B

Jensen Huang – $137.9B

Thomas Peterffy – $67.9B

Miriam Adelson & Family – $33.4B

Rupert Murdoch & Family – $24B

Peter Thiel – $21.8B

Jay Chaudhry – $17.9B

Jan Koum – $16.9B

John Tu – $14.1B

✨ Final Thoughts from Eyes of Lagos

As Lagosians, we love to see it: Naija no dey carry last, especially when it comes to global money moves. Ogunlesi and Awotona prove that with grit and grace, the world is our market.

https://eyesoflagos.com/2-nigerians-make-forbes-2025-list-of-americas-richest-immigrants/


cc: Mynd44 , Nlfpmod , Seun

Inobeyourmate:
But our developers names no dey there nah, not even one sha, e funny me ehn 😂😂😂😂😂

nothingspoil70:
Iam disappointed by the list. I was expecting the region that knows business to represent us. At least one name from that region I didn't see.

Op are you sure this list is authentic?

nothingspoil70:
Iam disappointed by the list. I was expecting the region that knows business to represent us. At least one name from that region I didn't see.

Op are you sure this list is authentic?

Depriest2020:
Other Nigerian tribes are late entrants to the tech world, Yoruba's are miles apart and reaping the benefits there of.

autoez:
Nigerians, particularly the Yoruba, are achieving remarkable things. I was truly impressed watching Tems perform at the CWC final yesterday. It's time for us to promote Nigeria positively on the global stage and put an end to all the negative comments. Nigeria is truly blessed.

immaculatesense:
I once thought Elon Musk was an American citizen by Birth, though I knew he is a South African by Origin.
An outsider with such power and clout in the US?
No Be Juju Be Dat?

Depriest2020:
Other Nigerian tribes are late entrants to the tech world, Yoruba's are miles apart and reaping the benefits there of.