Meet Adebayo Ogunlesi, The Nigerian Man with 3 UK Airports, Now Worth $2.3 billion

• Adebayo Ogunlesi, a Nigerian-born lawyer from Ogun State recently had his Investment company purchased by Blackrock for $12.5 Billion.
• With this new deal, the billionaire lawyer will be joining the board of Blackrock, while remaining the CEO of GIP.
• We take a look at the billionaire’s net worth and some of the cars he can purchase with his huge net worth.

Adebayo Ogunlesi is one of Nigerian’s silent billionaires who has made remarkable strides across the globe, yet chooses to lead a private lifestyle. The Nigerian-born lawyer has acquired huge successes through his various business engagements. One of the most recent is the purchase of his investment firm, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) by Blackrock, one of the world’s leading providers of investment, advisory, and risk management solutions.

Adebayo Ogunlesi is one of the richest men in Nigeria, and in this article, we’ll be looking into his cars and his current net worth.

Life and Career of Adebayo Ogunlesi

Adebayo Ogunlesi is a Nigerian-born lawyer, investment banker, and businessman who is currently the Chairman and Managing Partner of the investment firm, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). He was born on December 20, 1953, in Ogun State, Nigeria.

Adebayo Ogunlesi was born on December 20, 1953, in Nigeria. He grew up in a well-educated family with his father being a professor of medicine, and his mother being a civil servant. Ogunlesi attended King’s College in Lagos, Nigeria, for his secondary education. In 1973, Ogunlesi moved to the United States to attend the prestigious Oxford University in England, where he earned his undergraduate degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) in 1976.

He went on to attend Harvard Law School, where he obtained a J.D. in 1979. After completing his education, Ogunlesi worked as an attorney at the law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in New York City. He later became a partner at the firm and specialized in corporate finance and securities law.

Ogunlesi began his career as an attorney at the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City. He later transitioned to investment banking, where he worked at First Boston (now Credit Suisse) and Goldman Sachs. In 2006, he founded Global Infrastructure Partners, a private equity firm that invests in infrastructure assets, such as airports, seaports, and energy projects. The firm has since grown to become one of the largest infrastructure investment firms in the world, with over $70 billion in assets under management.

Ogunlesi has served on various boards and committees, including as a member of the Board of Directors of Goldman Sachs and as a member of the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations under President Barack Obama. He has also been recognized for his business and philanthropic contributions, including being named one of the “100 Most Influential Africans” by New African magazine in 2012 and receiving the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2017.

Adebayo Ogunlesi Worked as Part of Donald Trump’s Economic Team (2016 -2017)

Adebayo Ogunlesi was a member of former US President Donald Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum, which was a group of business leaders who advised the President on economic issues. The forum was established in December 2016 and was disbanded in August 2017 following the controversy surrounding Trump’s response to a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Blackrock Acquires Adebayo Ogunlesi’s GIP for $12.5bn

on 12th January 2024, it was reported that BlackRock, the biggest asset management company in the world, has said it is buying Global Infrastructure Partners, a company founded by Nigerian investment banker Adebayo Ogunlesi, in a $12.5bn deal.

According to a statement released on Friday, Blackrock is to pay $3bn in cash and offer Ogunlesi and five other co-founders of Global Infrastructure Partners 12 million shares in Blackrock, thus making them the second biggest shareholders in the global asset management giant.

Estimated Current Net Worth of Adebayo Ogunlesi

Adebayo Ogunlesi’s net worth was estimated to be approximately $2.3 billion according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index. However, please note that his net worth may have changed since then due to various factors such as market fluctuations, changes in assets, and other financial factors.

Cars Adebayo Ogunlesi Can Purchase with His Net Worth

One thing about the billionaire is that he lives a very private life and it’s almost impossible to know some of the things that go on within his private life, like the cars he owns. However, with his over a $1 billion net worth, the billionaire can afford cars like:

• Mercedes-Benz SLR

Originally sold as a coupe, the SLR later also added the Roadster model. A joint venture between F1 team McLaren and Mercedes, the SLR uses a carbon-fiber monocoque and has a supercharged V-8 engine. It’s one of just a few cars that can offer wind-in-the-hair motoring at 200 mph.

• McLaren 

McLaren will always be best known for its motorsport activities, but it also has a growing range of high-performance cars designed to challenge the likes of Ferrari and Porsche.

Most McLaren models share two key components: a central tub made out of carbon fibre and a powerful V8 petrol engine. 

• Mercedes-Benz G-class

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class, also called the G-Wagon, is a mid-size four-wheel drive luxury SUV that is sold by Mercedes-Benz. The G-Wagon has a body-on-frame construction and body styling.

The development of the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon started in the late 1970s with construction focused on off-road capabilities, alongside maximum safety and comfort. It was first developed as a military vehicle and some countries in the world were using it for their military and naval force but this vehicle’s strong presence, impressive stance, super drive, and amazing off-road abilities soon appealed to individuals, and the civilian version was offered in 1979. Despite the brand’s extreme prices, the sale of this vehicle continues to climb as the years go by. 

• Lamborghini Aventador

Lamborghini belongs to an exotic breed of cars classified as a car for the elite or the super-rich. Ferruccio Lamborghini founded Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A in 1963. Seeing the economic state of Nigeria, one would have thought no Nigerian could own a Lamborghini. However, Lamborghini car models have been spotted among Nigerians, especially celebrities like Obafemi Martinis who owns the Aventador.

• Bentley Bentayga

The Bentley Bentayga is the direct opposite of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Available in the Nigerian market, and severally spotted on Nigerian roads. The Bentayga is the perfect choice for those interested in vehicles that levitate on the road, equipped with loads of luxury but are willing to manage their poor fuel economy.

• Range Rover Velar

The Range Rover Velar was introduced in 2018. The Land Rover has been trying to manufacture a new variant that is in between the subcompact Evoque which was introduced in 2021 and the typical Land Rover Range Rover. That was how the Range Rover Velar came about. 

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The design of the Velar is the most dramatic visual update to the brand’s iconic look both interior and exterior. The base Velar is equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 247 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. Also included are an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system.