Spotlight Monday on Adebayo Ogunlesi: The Nigerian Billionaire Who Owned 3 Airports

This week’s spotlight Monday is on Adebayo Ogunlesi a remarkable Nigerian businessman known for his major achievements in the world of finance. He was born in 1953 in Sagamu, Nigeria. His father was Nigeria’s first professor of medicine, which taught him the value of hard work and a good education.

Ogunlesi studied at Oxford University, earning top marks in philosophy, politics, and economics. He then attended Harvard, where he got both a law degree and a business degree.

Starting his career in a leading law firm, Ogunlesi faced challenges as a black man in high finance. He worked hard, first as a law clerk at the U.S. Supreme Court and later as a lecturer at Harvard and Yale. In 1983, he took a job at First Boston, a New York investment bank, where he worked on big international deals.

In 2006, Ogunlesi founded Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a private equity firm that bought London City Airport that same year. Later, his firm also purchased London Gatwick Airport and Edinburgh Airport, making him the only Nigerian to own three airports.

Ogunlesi’s work has made him one of the most respected names in finance globally. In 2016, he was chosen to be on the advisory panel of then-President Donald Trump. In 2024, his firm GIP was bought by BlackRock for $12.5 billion, significantly increasing his wealth to $2.3 billion.

Despite all his success, Ogunlesi has stayed humble and connected to his Nigerian roots. His life story inspires many young Africans to aim high and achieve their dreams.