Ethiopia: this FT reading is Captivating on so many levels.

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Back to the captivating Story!

Mr. Adebayo Ogunlesi, co-founded Global Infrastructure Partners, GIP.

$105bn in assets investment company.

His #wife influenced a career switch that led to $12.5bn deal.

As he complained to his career back then, she told him : “Either you decide you like your job and you want to keep doing it. Or, if you decide you don’t, go find something else. But please don’t think you can spend the next five years moaning.”

?? Imagine this coming from your #wife.

And After that “kick in the behind” he switched his career at the age of #52 and in just 17 years, #GIP quietly amassed $105bn in assets and sold it to #BlackRock for $12.5bn.

?? Age of 52 is the catch word.

The man was raised in Lagos, Nigeria,

His father was the first Nigerian professor of medicine,

His mother ran a nursery school,

And the man earned a first class degree at Oxford university, and law and business degrees from Harvard.

?? He has a humble beginning. Yet, think of the 2nd generation who ruined themselves from the comfort but not him.

Asked why he has remained so private, he said “I don’t need to read about myself; I know enough about myself and who I am.”

?? This is in complete opposite of the western view. And it is a proof that it is possible to remain humble despite the great achievements, even in the western hemisphere.

??There is no shortage of seeing Nigerians sitting on renowned global stages.

Yet, sitting on the board of #BlackRock is the next level.

The man is a real inspiration.

? What about #Ethiopians?

Are you busy #moaning or you have something to share.

Love to hear it.

Read the FT Write up here: https://www.ft.com/content/d1c65335-8e9a-44a0-b122-220a18dcc937