.Two Yoruba listed as US richest immigrants
Across the whole world, two Yoruba men have emerged as among the richest immigrants in the United States.
The two were recently listed by Forbes as some of the most successful business men in the United States.
The two, Adebayo “Bayo” Ogunlesi and Tope Awotona were identified as America’s richest immigrants in 2025.
The two men emerged from a list of 125 billionaires drawn from 41 countries
They represent 14 percent of all U.S.-based billionaires.
Collectively, Forbes say they are in control of 18 percent of the total billionaires wealth in the US.
total billionaire wealth. The ranking highlights the influence of immigrant entrepreneurs in shaping major sectors of the U.S. economy, especially technology and finance.
Ogunlesi, the son of a Professor from Sagamu in Ogun State is on number 77th
He has an estimated net worth of $2.4 billion.
On the other hand, Awotona, who owns tne software Calendly, is number 106th with a net worth of $1.4 billion.
The controversial Elon Musk maintain the lead with a fortune of $393.1 billion.
Musk is a white South African who left for the United States through Canada. He owns Tesla and SpaceX.
.Ogunlesi comes from Makun, Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria. His father was son of Theophilus O. Ogunlesi, who was the first Nigerian professor of medicine and had worked at the premier University of Ibadan.
The family is of Yoruba ancestry.
He attended King’s College in Lagos and later studied philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University in England. He made first class.
He won the JD–MBA from Harvard Law School and Harvard Busines in 1979.
On the other hand, Tope Awotona was born in Lagos, Nigeria. His father was killed when he was barely 12 years by car hijackers. This instead of diminishing him fired his determination to succeed.
Awotona is currently the founder and Chief Executive Officer of scheduling software company Calendly.
