6 lessons every African billionaire has learned

Written by Iyebiye Olawuyi

Anytime I meet a really rich person, I try to ask them the lessons they have learned over the years as their money grew. They always seem to tell me the same things.

These are however 5 of the most important things I think they have learned

1. Start with what you have.

Start small is no crime, staying small is the wrong part. You don’t have to wait till you’ve got an office in the most prestigious location in town and 1000 investors to get your hustle started. Mark Zuckerberg started from his dorm room in school, so did many other insanely rich people. Just start small and grow your hustle.

2. Be Yourself

You need to realize that everyone has their own paths in life, so you do not have to mimic anyone else’s success. It’s alright to get inspired by other people but it’s equally important that you don’t lose yourself trying to be like them. You can only be the best of your own self.

3. You need patience

Forget the lies, gimmicks and camera effects. You’ll never become a billionaire overnight, except of course you want to try cyber crime or other fraudulent means. Every true billionaire knows that success takes time, perseverance and patience. Moji Alakija did not become the richest woman in Africa the moment she started oil business. In fact, she wasn’t making much at the beginning but she kept on with her grind and never stopped investing.

4. Surround yourself with richer people.

Look at the richest guys in the US, Aliko Dangote, Tonye Cole and Femi Otedola, they all have good working relationships with each other. Sometimes, they don’t like to bring it in front of the camera but that’s how they roll. This is because the quality of your future is based on the people you spend most of your time with. So billionaires, as a rule, walk mainly with bigger billionaires.

5. Giving back to the community is important.

Almost every truly rich African I know, talk of Ernesto Tarricone, Tony Elumelu, Ramon Kariuki, they all find a way to give back to the society. Either through mentorship classes and frequent media appearances where they give out their money-making strategies or through charitable donations to help the society, they find a way to give back.

If your dream of becoming a billionaire is ever going to come through, you are going to have to find a way to be a positive influence on people around you in one way or the other.