Business

Women make up 15% of 288 new billionaires in 2025

One of the most striking trends among the newcomers is the high percentage of self-made billionaires.

Published

1 year ago

April 2, 2025

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The newcomers come from 33 countries and territories, marking a significant rise from the 265 additions made in 2024.

Forbes’ 2025 World’s Billionaires list has welcomed a record 288 new billionaires, pushing the total number of billionaires to 3,028 globally.

This group, which includes entrepreneurs, investors, and heirs, is collectively valued at nearly $680 billion, averaging $2.4 billion per person.

The newcomers come from 33 countries and territories, marking a significant rise from the 265 additions made in 2024.

The United States remains the dominant force, contributing the most new billionaires with 103 additions this year.

Among the top names is Marilyn Simons, widow of quantitative hedge fund founder Jim Simons, whose net worth is estimated at $31 billion.

She stands alongside Lyndal Stephens Greth, the daughter of oil magnate Autry Stephens, who holds $25.8 billion following her father’s passing in 2024.Germany ranks second in terms of new entries, with 37 individuals joining the list, including Johannes von Baumbach. At 19 years old, he becomes the youngest new billionaire globally, with a fortune of $5.4 billion.

Along with von Baumbach, 14 other heirs to the Boehringer Ingelheim pharmaceutical empire also made their debut on the list.China and Hong Kong together contributed 32 new billionaires, with jeweller Xu Gaoming being one of the notable additions, valued at $8.2 billion. India saw 17 new billionaires, while Russia accounted for 15.

One of the most striking trends among the newcomers is the high percentage of self-made billionaires.

Of the 288 newcomers, 196 (approximately 70%) built their wealth from the ground up, rather than inheriting it.

The wealthiest self-made newcomer is Saudi Arabian entrepreneur Sulaiman Al Habib, whose fortune stands at $10.9 billion. Al Habib’s success is a notable achievement as Saudi Arabia has seen a resurgence of billionaires on the list for the first time since 2017.

Alexandr Wang, the 28-year-old co-founder and CEO of Scale AI, is the youngest self-made billionaire this year, valued at $2 billion.

(BusinessDay)

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TCN improves Power Supply to Apapa corridors by additional 208MW

The upgrade replaces an outdoor transformer that had served as a stopgap after the original facility, commissioned in 1985, was decommissioned.

Published

14 hours ago

August 18, 2026

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The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz , says from now Apapa Causeway, Ijora, Amukoko, Ajegunle, Apapa Wharf, Tin Can Island and other major commercial areas, will be having improved power supply.

Abdulaziz made the declaration on Monday during the commission of Ijora and Apapa Road transmission substations in Lagos by additional 208MW .

The project is aimed at improving the volume and reliability of electricity available to distribution companies for onward supply to homes, businesses and industries.

Abdulaziz said that the projects, sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the World Bank respectively, in partnership with TCN, underscored the Federal Government’s commitment to modernising the transmission network and improving grid stability.

He commended the Ministry of Power, JICA, the Government of Japan, Lagos State Government and other stakeholders for supporting the projects, while appealing for additional grant assistance to upgrade other critical sections of the transmission network.

Speaking at the commissioning, Minister of Power, Mr. Joseph Tegbe, said that the projects were part of the Federal Government’s efforts to address longstanding transmission constraints and infrastructure decay that have limited the country’s ability to fully utilise available generation.

The upgrades increased the Ijora substation’s capacity by 112MW, from 90MVA to 230MVA, following the installation of two new 100MVA transformers.

At Apapa Road, a new Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) added another 96MW, raising the facility’s capacity from 60MVA to 180MVA.

The upgrade replaces an outdoor transformer that had served as a stopgap after the original facility, commissioned in 1985, was decommissioned.

Business

CBN’s Sidi-Ali wins 2026 overall Spokesperson of the Year Award, courtesy of NSA

Published

16 hours ago

August 18, 2026

OCHEFA

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•Mrs Hakama Sidi Ali.

The Ag. Director of Corporate Communications of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mrs. Hakama Sidi-Ali, has won the 2026 edition of the National Spokespersons Award (NSA).

The recognition was announced during the 6th National Spokespersons Awards and the 4th Economic Confidential Annual Lecture, organised by Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), publishers of PRNigeria, Economic Confidential and Spokespersons Digest, held in Abuja, recently.

The organisers stated: “With the latest honour, Sidi-Ali completed an unprecedented hat-trick at the National Spokespersons Awards, becoming the first communications professional to progress from winning a sector-specific award twice consecutively to claiming the overall Spokesperson of the Year title.