World's Richest Muslim Entrepreneur, with Wealth Exceeding Rp 500 Trillion
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — Immersed in wealth and success is the dream of many people. A series of Muslim entrepreneurs from various corners of the world feature on the list of the world’s richest individuals. Among them, some have even broken into Forbes’ list of the 100 richest people in the world, with assets worth hundreds of trillions of rupiah.
Here is a list of Muslim entrepreneurs whose wealth soars high:
- Aliko Dangote
Aliko was born on 10 April 1957, in Kano, Nigeria. He is a Nigerian entrepreneur and philanthropist who is the founder and CEO of the Dangote Group conglomerate.
This man, raised in Islamic teachings and a devout Muslim, received a loan from his uncle to start his business.
Initially, he traded commodities and business supplies, particularly cement. In 1981, his business expanded rapidly, leading him to develop other ventures and establish the Dangote Group.
His business empire extends to various sectors, including foodstuffs such as pasta, sugar, salt, and flour; cement; transportation services; and other fields.
Some of his companies include Dangote Industries Ltd., Dangote-Bail Nigeria, Ltd., Dangote Cement PLC, Benue Cement Company PLC, Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC, Dangote Flour Mills PLC, and Nascon Allied Industries PLC. Besides Nigeria, the Dangote Group also operates in several other African countries.
Aliko Dangote from Nigeria has once again held the top spot as Africa’s richest person for over a decade consecutively, with wealth recorded by Forbes on Wednesday (29/4/2026) reaching US$30.2 billion, equivalent to Rp520.98 trillion (assuming an exchange rate of Rp17,250).
The significant surge in his wealth is primarily due to Forbes adding the value of his oil refinery, which began operations last year on the outskirts of Lagos after long delays.
The refinery faced various obstacles, including regulatory disputes and other challenges, before finally starting to produce a small amount of oil in early 2024. The refinery is expected to reach full capacity this month, enabling Nigeria, a major oil-producing country, to begin exporting some refined oil products.
“This is truly a great relief,” said Dangote, 67, to Forbes in February. Now included in the world’s top 100 richest people, Dangote believes his latest project is “an important step in ensuring that Africa has the capacity to refine its own crude oil, thereby creating wealth and prosperity for a broad population.”
Aliko Dangote now holds the 77th position among the world’s richest people according to Forbes.
- Shahid Khan
Shahid is the owner of automotive parts supplier Flex-N-Gate and the NFL team Jacksonville Jaguars.
As an immigrant from Pakistan, Khan bought Flex-N-Gate from his former employer in 1980. As an engineer, his design for a single-piece truck bumper became the foundation of his success. Currently, the company has 76 factories worldwide and more than 27,000 employees.
Khan bought the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012 and the English football club Fulham in 2013. In 2019, he and his son, Tony, founded All Elite Wrestling, a professional wrestling entertainment company that competes with WWE.
He also owns the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto and plans to open a new Four Seasons property in Jacksonville in 2026.
Forbes records Khan’s wealth at US$15 billion, equivalent to Rp258.7 trillion. He is listed as the 194th richest person.
- Azim Premji
Indian technology magnate Azim Premji owns Wipro, a company with revenue of US$11.3 billion that is one of India’s largest software services providers.
Premji left his studies at Stanford in 1966 to manage his family’s cooking oil business after his father passed away. He later expanded the business into the software sector.
Wipro has an innovation centre in Silicon Valley focused on developing new technologies and collaborating with startups.
In 2019, his son, Rishad Premji, replaced him as executive chairman of Wipro, while Azim Premji remains as founder chairman.
Forbes records Premji’s wealth at US$8.4 billion, equivalent to Rp144.9 trillion, placing him as the 417th richest person in the world.