Trailblazing South African presenter Trevor Noah continues to make the country proud. The comedian has listed on the prestigious Fortune 40 Under 40 list for Media and Entertainment.
Every year, Fortune Magazine releases its list of the world’s 40 most influential people across five categories: finance, technology, healthcare, government and politics, and media and entertainment. There is typically one list of 40 leaders from all the sectors, but this year each category gets its own ranking.
“It’s been a year of monumental challenges and change, and just one list of 40 emerging leaders wouldn’t be enough. This year, we’re highlighting 40 influential people in each of five categories,” explains Fortune.
Noah is in very good company on the newly-released list, joining A-listers like Beyoncé, Lewis Hamilton, Zendaya, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler and Issa Rae, the creator and star of popular HBO show Insecure.
They continue: “Noah is also an actor, writer, producer, and political commentator. He began his career in South Africa, where he was born to a Black mother and white father, whose interracial relationship was illegal under apartheid. His childhood is the subject of No.1 New York Times bestseller Born a Crime, which will be adapted for film with Lupita Nyong’o starring as his mother.
“Noah has been nominated for nine Emmys and won one for his work on The Daily Show. Since coronavirus lockdowns began, Noah has traded in his suit for a sweatshirt to host the show from his living room. Of his nine comedy specials, 2017’s Afraid of the Dark, available on Netflix, is his most recent. He has a multiyear deal with Viacom giving the company first-look rights to all future projects.”
This is Noah’s first appearance on the prestigious list. In 2019, he featured in fourth place on the Forbes list of the world’s highest earning stand-up comedians, banking a whopping $28 million (R470 300 600).
Picture: Instagram / Trevor Noah
