Dangote vs Yanai

Dangote Industries (Dangote Group) and Fast Retailing (Uniqlo).

The differences

Forbes puts Tadashi Yanai about $4B ahead of Aliko Dangote.Forbes figures from 27 Mar 2026 and 15 Oct 2026.
Aliko Dangote: founded it. Tadashi Yanai: inherited and grew it.
Tadashi Yanai is about 8 years older than Aliko Dangote.
Aliko Dangote is from Nigeria; Tadashi Yanai is from Japan.
Aliko Dangote has held a public or government advisory role; Tadashi Yanai has none on record.

Put someone else on either side

Dangote

Yanai

Net worth, Forbes: $51.1BForbes, 15 Oct 2026; $55.1BForbes, 27 Mar 2026
Net worth, Bloomberg: $35.7BBloomberg, 17 Oct 2026; $69.5BBloomberg, 16 Oct 2026
Forbes rank: No. 35Real-Time list, 9 Oct 2026; No. 33Real-Time list, 27 Mar 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; Inherited and grew itHis father Hitoshi Yanai founded the men's shop Ogori Shoji in 1949; Tadashi joined in 1972, became president in 1984, opened the first Uniqlo that year and built it into Fast Retailing. The company calls him its founder and Forbes lists him as self-made
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); Fast Retailing shares (Uniqlo)Bloomberg: 'The majority of Tadashi Yanai's fortune is derived from his stake in Fast Retailing'
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; Fast Retailing (Uniqlo)Fast Retailing (Uniqlo): Chairman, president and CEO
Biggest stake: Dangote Petroleum Refinery92.3% owned; Fast Retailing (Uniqlo)18.96% owned

Born: 10 Apr 1957Kano, Nigeria; 7 Feb 1949Yamaguchi Prefecture, 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 political science and economics, Waseda University (1971)
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 founded and ran a men's clothing shop in Ube, Yamaguchi PrefectureMother's occupation not stated

Giving Pledge: Not a signer; Not a signer
Foundation: Aliko Dangote FoundationHis private charitable foundation, incorporated in 1994 as Dangote Foundation; Yanai Tadashi FoundationFounded 2015 (scholarships); he also chairs the Fast Retailing Foundation
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, president and CEO of Fast Retailing; chairman of UNIQLO
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 namedHe is expected to be reappointed chairman, president and CEO after the 26 November 2026 shareholder meeting. Kazumi Yanai and Koji Yanai are group senior executive officers and directors; Bloomberg says shares held by his two sons are credited to him
Public office: Chairman, Nigeria End Malaria Council2022-; None found
Legal record: None found; None found