12
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The
World’s 50
Greatest
Leaders
The List11
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FORTUNE.COM // MAY.1.1 9
DANGOTE IS AFRICA’S RICHEST PERSON—worth $16.4 billion, according to
Bloomberg—and the four publicly traded companies under the umbrella
of his Dangote Industries now account for about a third of the value of
the Nigerian stock exchange. That wealth is based on a big bet on
Nigeria’s economic independence: Dangote’s peers give him credit for
helping the country become self-sufficient in the sectors in which his
companies compete (cement, agriculture, mining, and petroleum). He’s
now converting his wealth into impactful philanthropy: Dangote’s foun-
dation, the largest in Africa, has helped establish a top-tier business
school at Nigeria’s Bayero University; it’s also teaming up with the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation to fight chronic malnutrition in Nigeria.
Health care costs are
inflated in part by ig-
norance: The employ-
ers who pay the bills
often can’t get medical
providers to explain
and justify what they
charge. Bartlett helped
save Montana’s state
health plan from bank-
ruptcy by demanding
transparency from
hospitals and doctors,
then negotiating better
deals. Other employers
are now clamoring to
follow her lead.Son has become a tech
kingmaker. He upended
venture capitalism
in 2016 by launching
the $100 billion Vision
Fund, and his backing
often proves pivotal
in battles between
rival startups. Son
personally vets CEOs
of potential portfolio
companies and spurs
them to scale up dra-
matically, even if profit
is elusive. Ride sharing
as we know it might not
exist without his avid
backing of Uber, Grab,
and Didi Chuxing.CEO, DANGOTE INDUSTRIES
masayoshi son
CEO, SoftBankmarilyn bartlett
Special Products Coordi-
nator, State of Montana