isabel-santos

 

In case you’re wondering, Oprah Winfrey is the only woman of color that is a bonafide billionaire.  In fact, there’s a woman in Africa by the name of Isabel dos Santos that is estimated to have a net worth of $2 billion. 

 

Isabel dos Santos is a native of Angola and has made her riches in the fields of media, telecommunications, finance, retail, and energy. She’s the daughter of Angola’s President Jose’ Edwardo dos Santos and his first wife (name unknown).  She’s 39 years old and is married to millionaire offspring Sindika Dokolo. According to Wikipedia, the two married in 2002 in a lavish wedding that the movie “Coming To America” couldn’t compare to. It is said that over 800 guests were invited and it cost over $4 million (in US dollars).

 

After graduating from Kings College in London, Santos returned to her homeland to work under her father in the recycling business. From there, Santos ventured off into various industries on her own first starting with the trucking business. Her wealth has been contributed to her percentage of shareholder stake in several companies (i.e. Portugal’s ZON Multimedia, Banco Portugues de Investimento, Sonangol).

 

Despite having a fee critics who question her monopolization of the media industry in Portugal, Isabel dos Santos continues to make unprecedented strides ever by an African woman. By 2012, Santos’s had already racked in a net worth of about approx. $1.4 billion.

 

 

Photo Credit: Forbes