Sudanese born billionaire entrepreneur Dr Mo Ibrahim is named as Britain's most powerful black man

The 100 powerful black Britons who are changing the world. They have transformed lives, governments and even continents. A new Powerlist of the most influential black people in Britain paints a portrait of a confident, dynamic group who are defying stereotypes and reshaping the society around them.

Source: David Smith's report in The Observer - The 100 powerful black Britons who are changing the world - Sunday October 05 2008. Excerpt re Dr Mo Ibrahim:

Born in Sudan into humble surroundings, he used to describe himself as a Marxist. He became a billionaire entrepreneur credited with transforming a continent. You might not have heard of Dr Mo Ibrahim, but today he is named as the most powerful black man in Britain.

Ibrahim is credited with bringing the mobile phone revolution to Africa, making it the only continent where mobiles outnumber landlines and improving millions of lives. It is this achievement which gained the recognition of a judging panel which, after six months' research, has drawn up a 'Powerlist' of Britain's 100 most influential black people.

Celebrity is a stranger to Ibrahim, who has an estimated personal fortune of £1.2bn and runs a foundation for good governance in Africa. Yet the judges decided that he wields more influence than high-profile figures including the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu; equality campaigner Trevor Phillips; government minister David Lammy; and England and Manchester United footballer Rio Ferdinand.

The top 20 achievers

Men

1 Mo Ibrahim, founder and chairman, Mo Ibrahim Foundation

2 Tidjane Thiam, group finance director, Prudential

3 Damon Buffini, chairman, Permira

4 John Sentamu, Archbishop of York

5 Trevor Phillips, chairman, Commission for Equality and Human Rights

6 David Lammy, Skills Minister

7 Rio Ferdinand, footballer, Manchester United and England

8 Kenneth Olisa, director, Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation

9 David Adjaye, architect

10 Daniel Alexander QC, barrister

Women

1 Baroness Scotland, Attorney General

2 Claire Ighodaro, independent director

3 Michelle Ogundehin, editor-in-chief, Elle Decoration magazine

4 Vivian Hunt, director, McKinsey & Co

5 Pat McGrath, global cosmetics design director, Proctor & Gamble

6 Carol Lake, managing director: head of philanthropy, JP Morgan

8 Tandy Anderson, co-founder and chief executive, Select Models

9 Sonita Alleyne, director, Somethin' Else

10 Abigail Blackburn, editor, Now magazine

Judging panel

Baroness Amos (chair); Annmarie Dixon-Barrow, headhunter; Kwame Kwei-Armah, actor and playwright; Michael Prest, physical oil trader.
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UPDATE WEDNESDAY 08 OCTOBER 2008 -
Mo Ibrahim shows interest to invest in Ethiopia

See Ethiopia Watch (sister site of Sudan Watch) Wednesday, October 08, 2008: Sudanese born billionaire entrepreneur Dr Mo Ibrahim, named as Britain's most powerful black man, shows interest in investing in Ethiopia
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UPDATE THURSDAY 09 OCTOBER 2008 -
Mo Ibrahim's annual $5 million African prize

Further details at Sudan Watch, October 09, 2008: Message for African leaders: Annual $5 million African prize is a 'developmental project', says Sudanese born British billionaire Dr Mo Ibrahim