Isabel dos Santos

Africa's richest woman, Isabel dos Santos is the oldest daughter of Angola's longtime president. Though her representatives deny that her holdings have any connection to her father, President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, FORBES research found that he transferred stakes in several Angolan companies to her. In June 2016, he appointed her the head of Sonangol, Angola's state oil firm. In February 2017 he announced he will not seek reelection. Dos Santos' assets in Angola include 25% of Unitel, the country's largest mobile phone network, and 42% of a bank, Banco BIC.

In Portugal she owns nearly 6% of oil and gas firm Galp Energia (alongside Portuguese billionaire Americo Amorim), and nearly 19% of Banco BPI, the country's fourth-largest bank She is also a controlling shareholder of Portuguese cable TV and telecom firm Nos SGPS (formerly called Zon). In October 2015, four members of the European Parliament publicly called for an investigation into her investments in Portugal, questioning their legality.

A spokesperson for Dos Santos told Forbes that "Isabel dos Santos is an independent business woman and a private investor representing solely her own interests. Her investments in Angolan and/or in Portuguese companies are transparent and have been conducted through arms length's transactions involving external entities such as reputed banks and law firms."