Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has revealed that his business empire was built from scratch and not from inherited family wealth.

In an interview originally published by Bloomberg in 2020, which has resurfaced online, the billionaire industrialist explained that despite coming from a wealthy family background, he deliberately chose not to rely on inheritance.

Dangote noted that his great-grandfather was regarded as the richest man in West Africa in the 1940s, while his grandfather was also one of Nigeria’s wealthiest men. However, he clarified that his success did not come from their wealth.

“One thing that I am very proud of is that I did not inherit any money from my father. I built everything from scratch. Whatever I inherited in assets, I donated to charity,” he said.

He recalled starting his entrepreneurial journey in Lagos, trading in cement because of Nigeria’s massive housing deficit and heavy reliance on imports at the time. That decision later grew into Dangote Cement, now Africa’s largest cement producer.

Today, the Dangote Group has become one of Africa’s biggest conglomerates, with investments in cement, sugar, salt, oil refining, fertilisers, petrochemicals, steel, transport, logistics, and real estate across more than 10 countries.

Dangote’s story has continued to inspire many young entrepreneurs across the continent as proof that discipline, vision, and hard work can build lasting wealth.