Robert F. Smith, who paid off the student loan debt of the 2019 graduating class of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga., is the 163rd richest person in America. He is known for his philanthropy. Smith is chairman of the board of Carnegie Hall (the first person from the Global Majority to hold that position) and chairman of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation as well as a host of other charities.
Here are five things you should know about Smith:
He is Richer Than Oprah
Smith’s net worth is listed as $4.4 billion, surpassing Oprah Winfrey at $2.2 billion. Oprah is still the richest black woman in America. Smith is the richest black man in America, but not the world. He lags behind Mike Adenuga ($5.3 billion), the Nigerian telecom magnate, and Aliko Dangote, the cement tycoon. Dangote, who is also Nigerian, is worth an estimated $14.1 billion.
