Dangote vs Ferrero

Dangote Industries (Dangote Group) and Ferrero Group.

The differences

Forbes puts Aliko Dangote about $3.1B ahead of Giovanni Ferrero.Forbes figures from 15 Oct 2026 and 12 Sep 2026.
Aliko Dangote: founded it. Giovanni Ferrero: inherited and grew it.
Aliko Dangote is about 7 years older than Giovanni Ferrero.
Aliko Dangote is from Nigeria; Giovanni Ferrero is from Italy.
Aliko Dangote has held a public or government advisory role; Giovanni Ferrero has none on record.

Put someone else on either side

Dangote

Ferrero

Net worth, Forbes: $51.1BForbes, 15 Oct 2026; $48BForbes, 12 Sep 2026
Net worth, Bloomberg: $35.7BBloomberg, 17 Oct 2026; $57BBloomberg, 17 Oct 2026
Forbes rank: No. 35Real-Time list, 9 Oct 2026; No. 40Real-Time list, 12 Sep 2026
Billionaire since: 2008Forbes: he first appeared on its World's Billionaires list in 2008; 2018Forbes: first joined its World's Billionaires list in 2018, at $23 billion

How it started: Founded itBegan trading rice, sugar and cement in 1978 with a loan from his uncle; Bloomberg says he formed the corporation that became Dangote Group in 1981; Inherited and grew itForbes: he inherited the family candy business, became its sole leader in 2015 and expanded it through acquisitions (Nestlé's US confectionery in 2018, WK Kellogg in 2025)
Main source: Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Dangote CementBloomberg's largest items: the refinery ($18.6 billion), Dangote Cement ($11.7 billion) and a fertiliser plant ($3.02 billion); Ferrero Group (Nutella, Kinder, Ferrero Rocher, Tic Tac)Forbes source of wealth: 'Nutella, chocolates'
Companies: Dangote Industries (Dangote Group), Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Dangote CementDangote Industries (Dangote Group): Founder, president and chief executive; Dangote Petroleum Refinery: Chairman; Dangote Cement: Chairman of the board; Ferrero GroupFerrero Group: President of Ferrero Group and of Ferrero International S.A. (executive chairman)
Biggest stake: Dangote Petroleum Refinery92.3% owned; Ferrero Group100% owned

Born: 10 Apr 1957Kano, Nigeria; 1964Turin, Italy
Country: NigeriaLives in Lagos, Nigeria; ItalyLives in Brussels, Belgium
Education: Bachelor's degreeBusiness degree, Al-Azhar University, Cairo; Not statedStudied marketing at Lebanon Valley College (1980); honorary master's from the University of Parma (2015) and honorary doctorate from Lebanon Valley College (2022)
Parents: Son of Mariya Sanusi Dantata and Mohammed Dangote; his father died when he was eight and he was raised by his maternal grandfather, a commodities and building-materials trader. His great-grandfather was one of West Africa's richest men; His father Michele Ferrero led the family confectionery company and created Nutella; his mother Maria Franca Ferrero chairs the Italian Ferrero Foundation

Giving Pledge: Not a signer; Not a signer
Foundation: Aliko Dangote FoundationHis private charitable foundation, incorporated in 1994 as Dangote Foundation; Piera, Pietro and Giovanni Ferrero Foundation (Fondazione Ferrero)The family's foundation, chaired by his mother; not described as his personal giving vehicle
Lifetime giving: Not stated; Not stated

Role now: Runs the companyPresident and chief executive of Dangote Group; chairman of Dangote Cement and Dangote Petroleum Refinery; Runs the companyPresident (executive chairman) of Ferrero Group
Successor: No single successor named; Bloomberg says his succession plan includes his three daughters, Halima, Fatima and Mariya, all group executive directors at Dangote Industries; None namedLapo Civiletti became the first non-family CEO in 2017 and in 2026 moved to president of Ferrero Ice Cream and WK Kellogg Co; Alessandro Nervegna is CEO of Ferrero Core. No other family member holds an executive role in the cited materials
Public office: Chairman, Nigeria End Malaria Council2022-; None found
Legal record: None found; None found