Dr. Mike Adeniyi Ishola Adenuga, Jr., the Chairman of Globacom and
Conoil, is not your regular billionaire. The man is simply in a world
and class of his own – strange, unusual and eccentric.
Sources who know him very well told YES INTERNATIONAL! that he
hates to play the second fiddle. “Adenuga loves to rule his world and
dominate his environment…he also doesn’t like being taken unawares and
enjoys being in charge totally”.Continue after the cut
Dissecting him further, the sources said: “His appetite for work is
out of this world and that is why at 1am, 2am, 3am, you can still find
him in the office working; sometimes all alone. Most of his key staffers
like Bode Opeseitan and co don’t have any closing time. The man can
call them up at any time and summon them to the office. But he
compensates them immeasurably for this. He knows all his key staffers by
name. Not only that, no major staff can be employed in any of his
companies without his input. He must see the person before the final
decision can be taken.
“You may describe this as queer, but Adenuga doesn’t pick his
calls. Even letters are not accepted in his office, no matter where they
are coming from. All his calls must pass through someone before getting
to him. You can’t just reach him on the phone directly. One of his
oldest staffers, Nora, from Sierra Leone, usually serves as the link
between him and whoever he wants to establish contact with or talk to.
She’s the person that takes his calls most times. You equally don’t
remind him of anything. He does his things at his own time”.
Rarely seen in public, Adenuga, sometimes, doesn’t even attend his
own events – no matter how important and who and who have been invited.
“He hardly laughs outside, but in the midst of his friends, you will see
him rolling in laughter. He has only a handful of friends – and in that
category are Otunba Niyi Adewunmi, a long time pal whom he has made a
Director in some of his companies; former military President, General
Ibrahim Babangida (rtd); erstwhile Vice President, Alhaji Atiku
Abubakar; ex-Abia Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu; one-time Minister of
Police Affairs, General David Jemibewon (rtd) and Senator Tunde Ogbeha.
He’s so, so close to Ogbeha, because I remember vividly that on
Monday, October 22, 2000, he personally drove to the airport (here in
Ikeja) to pick up Ogbeha. But you know he hadn’t become this big and
popular then; but that is to tell you how close they are. And during any
of his rare public appearances, the man won’t smile, won’t eat, won’t
drink and will usually keep to himself, with his bodyguards keeping
watch and ensuring that no intruder comes close. “However, any time he
wants to enjoy himself, he goes for champagne and Chinese food. There’s
this particular Chinese restaurant that he normally goes to in VI; not
too far from his office”.
A very, very intriguing character, YES INTERNATIONAL! gathered that
Adenuga, GCON, likes his women busty and fleshy. His second wife, Titi
is a good example. His path and that of the 51-year-old mother of two
(Shade and Adeniyi) crossed during her NYSC programme (after graduating
from OAU, Ile-Ife) at Adenuga’s bank. This was years after his first
marriage to Bolaji Marquis ended on an unpleasant note – after five
children – Jide, Bella, Paddy, Oyin and another.
A native of Ijebu Igbo in Ogun State, the no-nonsense business
mogul – born on April 29, 60 years ago, does not give up on things. As a
matter of fact, he detests the words no, can’t, won’t and impossible.
Remember how hard he fought to join the GSM business and all the
millions he lost. None of his staff can also be poached unnecessarily –
except those he’s not crazy about. And this explains why some of his key
staffers usually go and come back. “You can go o, but anyday he
remembers you, he will send for you and make you an offer that you can’t
refuse”.
Fondly called The Guru or Chairman by his disciples, Adenuga is
very, very shy, which is unknown to many. It is also the reason he keeps
more to himself. In love with agbada, Senegalese kaftans, buba and
sokoto, short-sleeve safari suits and lately, smart casuals – with his
trademark Yoruba fila – all his tops now carry his initials – MAJ. And
on his table, in his office in VI, the full meaning – Mike Adenuga Jr. –
is there for all to see. In love with hailing people, especially when
happy, as awe ooo!, nearly everything inside his office is coated in
gold, with his favourite animal and king of the jungle, a lion
emblazoned on them.
From the door to the letterhead and envelops, there’s no mistaking
The Guru’s beautiful and spacious office. Business-like and
serious-minded, there are telephones here and there and some comfortable
seats for his guests. Kind hearted to a fault and unarguably one of the
most generous souls that the Almighty God created, nobody encounters
him without having his or her life radically transformed. “You don’t
meet him one on one without a huge smile plastered on your face”.
At variance with politics and laziness, the taciturn and evasive
bulky billionaire is always changing his phone numbers. And except he
gives you the number himself, calling him could spell doom in certain
quarters. One of Africa’s richest men, the chairman of The Mike Adenuga
Group indeed plays big in telecoms (Globacom), oil and gas (Conoil),
real estate, banking and so on. Interestingly, he started out as a
cabbie in the United States of America – which he later combined with
exporting tomato puree and wine to Nigeria. Educated at North West
University and Pace University, both in US, where he read Business
Administration, his late mother, Mama Oyin Adenuga, a major distributor
for Nigerian Bottling Company, Guinness and Nigerian Breweries had
already indoctrinated him into the world of business, which he didn’t
forget while outside our shores.
Blessed with two brothers and two sisters, two of them, late
Yetunde Adegbola, then Chairman of Equatorial Trust Bank and Demola,
said to be a businessman, seem to be the closest to him. Hitherto
residing in a marble cum mosaic house on Oko Awo, Victoria Island,
Adenuga now has a better palace inside Banana Island, in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Not given to flamboyance and any form of extravagance, there’s also The
Gold Digger’s Place in Iyaganku GRA, Ibadan, where he still spends most
weekends and other cute pads like the one in York Terrace, Regent Park
and St. Johnswood, both in London.
Driving himself more often than not, his favourite automobile may
be his G-Wagon Benz which he is mostly seen in. And not forgetting his
private jets, with which he could easily monitor his many businesses,
keep very serious appointments and also savour the fruits of his labour.
Alleged to be one of the largest owners of prime properties on Victoria
Island, Adenuga who they say shouts on his staffers when upset is
large; very large. Forbes Magazine, as a matter of fact, just rated him
as Africa’s 2nd richest man and No. 325 in the world.
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