How David Steward Became the Richest Black Person In America

David L. Steward,73, embodies the power of perseverance. He grew up in poverty in segregated Missouri. Today, he stands as the wealthiest Black man in America with a staggering net worth of $11.4 billion, according to Forbes’ 2024 rankings. Bloomberg pegs his net worth as being even high, at $12.4 billion. He helms an IT empire. YouTube screenshot, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nht4ZbIPrxw His wealth went up from $7.6 billion in 2023 and $6 billion in 2022. Steward is now richer than private equity billionaire Robert Smith, who is the second richest. Smith has estimated net worth of $10.8 billion, Forbes reports. Steward’s journey began modestly. The Chicago-born Steward was raised in Clinton, Missouri, where his family lived in poverty on a small farm. His father, Harold, worked as a mechanic, trash collector, and janitor, while his mother, Dorothy, completed her education. Living through the segregated South, Steward was one of the first to integrate public spaces, including his high school and local swimming pools in 1967, according to Black Past. After graduating from segregated Clinton Senior High School in 1969, Steward pursued a degree in business management at Central Missouri State University, earning his BS in 1973. His early career was shaped by...