60 FACTS ABOUT TOE

Our Founder just turned 60!

And we couldn’t be more excited to witness this great feat so we’ve put together 60 facts about him.

1. He owns a lot of red ties.
2. His favourite colour is not red.
3. He led the largest bank merger in Africa between United Bank of Africa and Standard Trust Bank (STB)
4. He believes that luck is just as important as hard work.
5. He is the Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, his family-owned investment company.
6. He began his career as a copier salesman.
7. He has a master’s degree in economics from the University of Lagos.
8. He loves lawn tennis and football.
9. He served as a goalie in primary school.
10. He rose quickly to become the youngest bank branch manager at Allstates Trust Bank at age 26.
11. He formed a coalition to acquire a distressed financial institution, Crystal Bank and became its CEO; an action that earned him and his circle of peers, the nickname – “the cowboys of banking”.
12. He can do a 2-minute straight plank, and then 30 seconds on each side.
13. He enjoys yoga.
14. He is known by many as the lion king.
15. He is a mentor to many but still has his mentor, HRH, King Ebitimi Banigo.
16. He was awarded the Daily Times, Nigerian man of the year in 2016
17. He was honoured with the National Productivity Order of Merit Award in 2019.
18. He is on the list of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.
19.  On 11 October 2022, Elumelu received the National honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic.
20. He has been greatly influenced by Michael Jackson’s perfectionism.
21. He flew to Jamaica in 2019 with a single mission to step on the soil/and enter the house of Bob Marley.
22. He loves corn.
23. In 2010 he committed 100 million dollars to empower African entrepreneurs
24. Former US president Barrack Obama is an advocate of his economic  philosophy of Africapitalism.
25. He is a father to 7 children.
26. He became a CEO at 34.
27. He is the father of Africapitalism.
28. He was born in Jos, Nigeria
29. His first degree was in Economics from Ambrose Ali University
30. He grew up with 4 siblings.
31. He hails from Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria.
32. He believes in the democratisation of luck.
33. He is a strong advocate for women empowerment.
34. He served in Sokoto and worked in Union Bank as a Youth Corp member.
35. He retired as CEO of United Bank for Africa in 2010
36. He believes that the private sector’s role is critical for Africa’s development.
37. Through the Tony Elumelu Foundation he has empowered over 18,000 African entrepreneurs and built a network of over 1.5 million entrepreneurs.
38. In 2003, the Federal Government of Nigeria granted Elumelu the title of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic MFR, a national honour.
39. In 2012, he was awarded the National Honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger CON for his service in promoting private enterprise.
40. In 2018 and 2019 he was awarded the All-Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) Philanthropist of the Year Award.
41. In 2019 he received an honorary  Doctor of Business degree in Bayero University Kano (BUK).
42. He was honoured with the National Productivity Order of Merit Award in 2019.
43. He got married in 1993.
44. He was awarded African Banker of the Year by African Banker magazine in 2008
45. In 2010 he was awarded an Honourary Degree of Doctor of Business Administration (HonDBA) from Benue State University
46. He was awarded the African Business Leader of the Year Award by The Corporate Council on Africa in 2012
47. He has a strong sense of family and is dedicated to those he considers family.
48. He loves to travel.
49. He actively celebrates team wins.
50. He loves soccer and often plays with his twin sons.
51. He puts a lot of thought into hiring and usually takes part in the process.
52. He loves Afrobeat so much Spotify had to make his own playlist.
53. He loves to party.
54. He treats his colleagues as his family.
55. He writes with a green pen always.
56. Senegal is one of his favourite African countries.
57. He believes in the genius of ‘And’.
58. He’s considered the father of Africapitalism.
59. If you ever send him an email, he’s read everything in the detail.
60. TOE’s memory is very sharp. He remembers almost every encounter.
61.  In 2022 he received the TIME impact award. This was after He is was listed on the TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.
62. No matter what he is doing, TOE always answers the phone when his children call him.
63. TOE actually enjoys driving himself.
64. He is very competitive and likes to push himself past his last achievement.
65. He is a prolific visionary and very meticulous.
66. He likes to challenge the status quo.
67. He’s a risk taker but is very strategic in his investments.
68. He received the Leadership Award in Business and Philanthropy from the Leadership Award in Business and Philanthropy (AAI) Awards and was also named African Business Icon at the 2013 African Business Awards and in 2016, at the 5th edition of the annual Economic Forum of the Ivorian National Council of Employers, CGECI Academy, in Abidjan, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award.
69. When he first met his wife, he knew he was going to marry her.
70. TOE is an avid reader. He also enjoys watching documentaries.
71. He a disciplinarian and is considered as the stricter parent by his children.
72. TOE believes in excellence in everything. When working from his home office, TOE dresses like he is going to his office building.