Meet David L. Steward, the founder of World Wide Technologies and one of the richest Blacks in the United States. From a humble beginning, the African-American entrepreneur has risen through the ladder of success to become the second richest Black man in U.S. history.

For so many years, the spotlight has been on Robert F. Smith, who is the richest African American in history and has a net worth of $4.5 billion. However, Steward’s net worth of $3.7 billion puts him directly behind Robert.

Born in Chicago in 1951, Steward grew up in segregation with his seven siblings and at a point, he was the only Black boy in his school. His father worked as a janitor, mechanic, and trash collector. Steward obtained a B.S. in business in 1973 from Central Missouri State University. He was also awarded Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters by Harris Stowe State University in 2002 and Lindenwood University in 2010.