The richest Black man in America as of 2025 is Alex Karp, the CEO and co- founder of Palantir Technologies. He has an estimated net worth of $11.5 billion, surpassing other prominent Black billionaires such as David Steward and Robert F. Smith
. Karp's wealth surged due to a nearly 40% increase in Palantir's stock price and strong revenue growth, making him the top-ranked Black billionaire in the U.S. on Forbes' real-time list
. Previously, David Steward, co-founder and chairman of World Wide Technology, was considered the richest Black American with a net worth of $11.4 billion, followed closely by Robert F. Smith, founder of Vista Equity Partners, with $10.8 billion
. However, Alex Karp has recently overtaken them in wealth rankings
. In summary:
- Alex Karp: $11.5 billion, CEO of Palantir Technologies, richest Black man in America (2025)
- David Steward: $11.4 billion, IT services entrepreneur
- Robert F. Smith: $10.8 billion, private equity investor
Aliko Dangote is the richest Black person globally but is Nigerian, not American
