Popular business tycoon, Tony Onyemaechi Elumelu is a Nigerian economist, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
Elumelu is the chairman of Heirs Holdings, the United Bank for Africa, Transcorp and founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation.
He acquired and turned Standard Trust Bank into a top-five player in Nigeria and led the acquisition of United Bank for Africa (UBA) in 2005 before transforming it from a single-country bank to a pan-African institution with more than seven million customers in 19 African countries.
After Elumelu’s retirement from UBA in 2010, he founded Heirs Holdings, which invests in the financial services, energy, real estate and healthcare sectors. That same year marked the establishment of his Tony Elumelu Foundation.
Heirs Holdings acquired a controlling interest in the Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp) in 2011 and was subsequently appointed the chairman of the corporation.
Elumelu was recognized as one of “Africa’s 20 Most Powerful People in 2012” by Forbes magazine, was voted African Business Leader of the Year by Africa Investor magazine, African Banker of the Year in 2008 by African Banker magazine and was named among the “100 Most influential Africans in Business”.
Here are the 10 things you probably didn’t know about him.
1. He was Anthony Onyemaechi Elumelu on March 22, 1963 in Jos, Plateau, Nigeria.
2.He is originally from Onicha-Ukwu in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.
3. He obtained a bachelors degree in economics from Ambrose Alli University and a master of science degree from the University of Lagos.
4. He has four siblings, one of whom is Ndudi Elumelu, a former member of the Nigerian Federal House of Representatives.
5. He is also the cousin of the late Nigerian reggae artiste, Ras Kimono.
6. He got married to his wife, Awele Vivien Elumelu, a medical doctor in 1993 and their union is blessed with seven children; five girls and two boys (twins).
7. Elumelu was honoured with the title of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) by the Federal government in 2003 and was awarded the National Honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) for his service in promoting private enterprise. He was named African Business Icon at the 2013 African Business Awards.
8. He was awarded an honorary doctorate of science degree from Benue State University and an honorary doctorate of business administration from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
9. He has also written about his philosophy and the economic development of Africa for numerous publications around the world such; The Economist, The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times.
10 Tony Elumelu is one of the most influential Nigerian entrepreneur with an estimated net worth of $700 million dollars according to Forbes.
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