Less than a week after he was ranked among the 100
most influential personalities in the world by Time
Magazine, leading business broadcast organisation,
CNBC has ranked foremost entrepreneur and Africa’s
richest man, Aliko Dangote as one of the 25 people
who have had the most profound impact on business
and finance worldwide.
Forbes had earlier named him as the second most
powerful black man, coming only after United States
President, Barack Obama and the 64th most powerful
person in the world.
CNBC ranked Dangote as 23rd among the first 25
people who have impacted the business world most
since 1989, the year organisation went live on air. In
the list, Steve Jobs led the pack followed by world
richest man, Bill Gates. “They have disrupted
industries, sparked change and exercised an
influence far beyond their own companies,” the
medium said. The South Africa based broadcast
medium added: “As CNBC embarks on its second
quarter-century, it faces a world completely altered
from when it started.
“Then, the Dow was below 2,400, Wal-Mart didn’t
make the list of America’s 500 largest companies
and there was no World Wide Web. Only four U.S.
companies had annual revenue of more than $50
billion.
“Today there are more than 50, including upstarts
such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Google. No
dictionary contained the words “e-commerce” or
“app.” A blog was still archaic slang for a servant
boy.
“It described the 25 men and women from different
parts of the world and across different industries as
people who had “for better or worse, been the rebels,
icons and leaders in the vanguard of that change.”
“The list:Here is our ranked list of the 25 people we
judge to have had the most profound impact on
business and finance since 1989, the year CNBC went
live. They have disrupted industries, sparked change
and exercised an influence far beyond their own
companies.As CNBC embarks on its second quarter-
century, it faces a world completely altered from
when it started. Then, the Dow was below 2,400, Wal-
Mart didn’t make the list of America’s 500 largest
companies and there was no World Wide Web. Only
four U.S. companies had annual revenue of more
than $50 billion. Today there are more than 50,
including upstarts such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon
and Google. No dictionary contained the words “e-
commerce” or “app.” A blog was still archaic slang
for a servant boy.The 25 men and women listed below
—from different parts of the world and across
different industries—have, for better or worse, been
the rebels, icons and leaders in the vanguard of that
change.
