The first woman to make an appearance on this list, Alakija‘s tale of fortune is a bit different from the others. Originally scoring a position as executive secretary at Sijuade Enterprises in Nigeria, she actually switched jobs to work at First National Bank of Chicago. As she worked at the bank, Folorunsho also started a fashion company called Supreme Stitches. The company had a meteoric rise to fame and power, and Alakjia again branched out. This time, she focused on the oil game. Securing an oil prospecting license (OPL), she got to explore a 617,000 acre-block of land off the coast of Nigeria. Combine all of these lucrative endeavors, and you get one rich woman. Like the previous billionaires listed above, Alakija loves to give back to the community.