Dangote vs Son

Dangote Industries (Dangote Group) and SoftBank Group.

The differences

Forbes puts Masayoshi Son about $9.3B ahead of Aliko Dangote.Forbes figures from 9 Oct 2026 and 15 Oct 2026.
Both started the company their money comes from.
Aliko Dangote is from Nigeria; Masayoshi Son is from Japan.
Aliko Dangote has held a public or government advisory role; Masayoshi Son has none on record.

Put someone else on either side

Dangote

Son

Net worth, Forbes: $51.1BForbes, 15 Oct 2026; $60.4BForbes, 9 Oct 2026
Net worth, Bloomberg: $35.7BBloomberg, 17 Oct 2026; $41.3BBloomberg, 16 Oct 2026
Forbes rank: No. 35Real-Time list, 9 Oct 2026; No. 31Real-Time list, 9 Oct 2026
Billionaire since: 2008Forbes: he first appeared on its World's Billionaires list in 2008; Not stated

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; Founded itFounded Nihon SoftBank (now SoftBank Group) in 1981
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); SoftBank Group stockBloomberg: most of his wealth comes from his SoftBank Group stake
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; SoftBank Group, ArmSoftBank Group: Founder; representative director, corporate officer, chairman and CEO; Arm: Non-executive director and chairman
Biggest stake: Dangote Petroleum Refinery92.3% owned; SoftBank Group32.73% owned

Born: 10 Apr 1957Kano, Nigeria; 11 Aug 1957Tosu, Japan
Country: NigeriaLives in Lagos, Nigeria; JapanLives in Tokyo, Japan
Education: Bachelor's degreeBusiness degree, Al-Azhar University, Cairo; Bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree in economics, University of California, Berkeley
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; Born to a Korean immigrant family; his father worked at fisheries, farms, restaurants and pachinko parlours

Giving Pledge: Not a signer; Not a signer
Foundation: Aliko Dangote FoundationHis private charitable foundation, incorporated in 1994 as Dangote Foundation; Masason FoundationEstablished December 2016 to support talented young people; he is its president
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 companyChairman and CEO of SoftBank Group; chairman of Arm
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; Not stated
Public office: Chairman, Nigeria End Malaria Council2022-; None found
Legal record: None found; None found