MEET Nigerian ‘Ogun State boy’, a Naturalized British Billionaire, ADEBAYO OGUNLESI, owner of Gatwick, Edinburgh, 3 other Airports in United Kingdom…Investment banker received first-class honours in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University in England, bought London Gatwick Airport For £1.5 Billion cash

     *Trained lawyer single-handedly transformed fast dilapidating Gatwick International Airport in London into a state-of-the-art affair, making it one of the best airports on the planet 

*Soft-speaking economist owns over 5,889 units of The Goldman Sachs stock worth over $13,927,492, Net worth estimated at $3.5 billion as of 2020

*Got a J.D. magna cum laude and Master’s degree in Law from Harvard Law School, Served as a law clerk to Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall of the United States Supreme Court

*Recipient of International Center in New York’s Award of Excellence, cited one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine

*He is Chairman and Managing Partner at the private equity firm Global Infrastructure Partners, Son of First Nigerian Professor of Medicine 

*BY GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/AMERICAN Foreign Editor & TINA BAMIDELE/Business Correspondent, London

HE’S AN ICON in the financial institutions in the whole of Europe and the entire cities of the United Kingdom. ADEBAYO OGUNLESI is a worldwide name in the banking sector. He is unarguably one of the richest Nigerian billionaire native who migrated to the United Kingdom in the early stage of his life to fulfil his life’s aspiration. This Naturalized British has made history as the first Nigerian, only black billionaire to have acquired five airports in Britain in consecutive successions. He is a successful trained lawyer, investment banker, entrepreneur with a net worth of $3.5 billion as of 2020.

Ogunlesi’s net worth is estimated at $3.5 billion as of 2020, being one the richest men in Nigeria. In 2006, His company, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) firm bought London City Airport. Three years later, GIP acquired the majority in London Gatwick Airport in a deal worth £1.455 billion. The Nigerian press then coined him the name, “The Man Who Bought Gatwick Airport.” GIP also owns Edinburgh Airport, which they bought in 2012, and Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, which they bought in February 2018.

That same year to a year later, Ogunlesi served as a law clerk to Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall of the United States Supreme Court. He was an attorney in the corporate practice group of the New York City law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where he had been a summer associate while studying for his M.B.A.

These correspondents gathered that in 1983, Ogunlesi joined the investment bank First Boston as an advisor on a Nigerian gas project. At First Boston, he worked in the Project Finance Group, advising clients on transactions and financing having worked on transactions in North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. 

From 1997 to 2002, Ogunlesi due diligence in career pays as he was appointed Head of the Global Energy Group of the by then renamed Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB). In 2002, this cerebral economist was appointed Global Head of CSFB’s Investment Banking Division. Also in 2002, he served as a member of Credit Suisse’s Executive Board and Management Committee. From 2004 to 2006, Ogunlesi was Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Client Officer of CSFB.

 Ogunlesi is currently Chairman and Managing Partner at the private equity firm Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). He was the former head of Global Investment Banking at Credit Suisse First Boston before being promoted to Chief Client Officer and Executive Vice Chairman.

This Makun native from Sagamu, Ogun State is the son of Theophilus O. Ogunlesi, the first Nigerian professor of medicine at University of Ibadan. His family is of Yoruba origin.

Education:

Ogunlesi attended King’s College, Lagos, a secondary school in Lagos, Nigeria. He received a B.A. with first class honors in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University in England. In 1979, he received a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and an M.B.A. in Law from the same school. During his time at Harvard, he was on the Harvard Law Review.

In 2002, Ogunlesi was appointed Global Head of CSFB’s Investment Banking Division. Also in 2002, he served as a member of Credit Suisse’s Executive Board and Management Committee. Two to four years later, he was made Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Client Officer of CSFB. In 2006, GIP bought London City Airport. Three years later, GIP acquired the majority in London Gatwick Airport in a deal worth £1.455 billion.

Ogunlesi owns over 5,889 units of The Goldman Sachs stock worth over $13,927,492 and over the last 10 years he sold GS stock worth over $0. In addition, he makes $600,257 as Lead Independent Director at The Goldman Sachs. He bought the Gatwick Airport and four others in the UK. Ogunlesi is a man who doesn’t believe in making noise or a media freak, he is someone who lets his work speak for him. In 2009, GIP acquired the majority in London Gatwick Airport in a deal worth £1.455 billion. GIP also owns Edinburgh Airport, which it acquired in 2012, and Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, which was bought in February 2018.

There is a spirit called the spirit of excellence which is associated with every Nigerian irrespective of where they find themselves anywhere in the world.

Ogunlesi is happily married to British-born optometrist, Dr. Amelia Quist-Ogunlesi since 1985. They have two children. On the song Wonderful, Burna Boy pays tribute to Adebayo citing his hardwork. He is Recipient of The International Center in New York’s Award of Excellence. Ogunlesi was cited as one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine in 2019.

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