Encomium
FOUR Nigerians featured in 2014 latest Forbes Billionaire Ranking. The four, Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga, Folorunsho Alakija and Abdulsamad Rabiu had their fortunes multiplied many notches higher.
This is how the listed billionaires enjoy their hard earned money.
ALIKO DANGOTE
Net worth $25 billion
Latest Forbes ranking put the net worth of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Group at $25 
billion. Presently, the mogul is 23rd in the world billionaire list, a 20 per cent rise from $20.8 billion and 43rd position he was as at December 2013. He is still holding on firmly to his Number 1 position in Africa. He built his fortune from trading in commodities like cement, sugar, flour, noodles. Now, he is extending his tentacles to oil business.
Aliko Dangote, in 2013 announced his determination to build the biggest private refinery, fertilizer and petrochemical complex in Nigeria. The project is to gulp $9 billion.
HOW DANGOTE ENJOYS HIS MONEY
Aliko Dangote spends heavily on charity. His Dangote Foundation was just recently endowed with N200 billion. The fund would go into planting smiles on the faces of downtrodden. The man of means doesn’t joke with his comfort. He jets around the world in a Bombardier Global Express 500 jet valued at N7.2 billion. He has a luxury yacht for his enjoyment alone. He lives in an all marble house on Karimu Kotun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
We spoke with Sunday Esan, Dangote Group Corporate Communication Manager, he said Alhaji Dangote had already expressed his thoughts on the latest Forbes ranking in an interview he granted Guardian Newspaper of Friday, March 7, 2014, and that we should quote him from the piece.
In that interview, Dangote said it is pleasing to hear about the latest Forbes Ranking. “It’s good to hear about it, but we have to keep working all day.”
MIKE ADENUGA
Net worth $4.6 billion
Dr. Mike Adenuga appeared on the 2014 Forbes Billionaire Ranking as one of the richest men in the world. He is presently 325th in the world, and second richest man in Nigeria. The wealthy businessman makes his money from telecoms and oil. Globacom is Nigeria’s second largest mobile phone network with about 24 million subscribers. He also owns Conoil producing, an indigenous oil exploration company which holds the rights to some of Nigeria’s most lucrative oil fields.
HOW ADENUGA ENJOYS HIS MONEY
Dr. Mike Adenuga boats of an intimidating property portfolio. He lives inside an all white Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos mansion. The edifice built by Julius Berger is worth many millions. He cruises around the world in a Bombardier Challenger 604 jet valued at N4.8 billion. He has other houses scattered around the world.
FOLORUNSHO ALAKIJA
Net worth $2.5 billion
Oil and fashion billionaire, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija is the third richest in Nigeria and 13th in Africa with a net work of $2.5 billion, an increase from $1.9 billion in 2013.
Mrs. Alakija operates Famfa Oil, a lucrative oil company that produces as much as 200,000 barrels per day.
HOW MRS. ALAKIJA ENJOYS HER MONEY
Mrs. Alakija owns a Bombardier Global Express 600 jet worth $46 million, a $102 million home in Hyde Park, London. She and her husband, Mr. Modupe Alakija cruise around town in a bullet proof Mercedes G-Wagon. The Alakijas are noted to have staged the most expensive wedding in Lagos. That was in 2012, when one of their sons, Ladi wedded Lolade, daughter of Mr. Yemi and Mrs. Bimbo Cardoso. We tried reaching Mrs. Alakija on Friday, March 7, 2014, but to no avail.
ABDULSAMAD RABIU
Net worth $1.2 billion
The tycoon owner of BUA Group is presently worth $1.2 billion, an increase from his worth of $550 million in 2013. BUA Group, a Nigerian conglomerate has interests in sugar refining, cement, real estate, manufacturing, oil and gas and shipping. Abdulsamad is the son of a successful businessman, Isyaku Rabiu.
HOW ABDULSAMAD IS ENJOYING HIS MONEY
Abdulsamad Rabiu described as Africa’s newest billionaire, owns two airplanes, an eight-seater Gulfstream G550 $44.9 jet powered by a Rolls Royce engine as well as an $18 million Legacy 600 aircraft. Among his properties is a house in London worth $16 million, a pent house in Cape Town, South Africa. At just 53, Abdulsamad Rabiu is swimming in money.
– FOLUSO SAMUEL
