Tony Elumelu was born on 22 March 1963 in Jos, Plateau State, to restaurateurs Dominic and Suzanne Elumelu; and hails from Onicha-Ukwu in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.
He is one of five children, one of whom is Ndudi Elumelu, who currently serves as a member of the Nigerian Federal House of Representatives.
Despite graduating with a Lower Second Class (2:2) degree in Economics from the University of Lagos, today he serves as chairman and member of several major companies, including Heirs Holdings, United Bank of Africa, and Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc. (Transcorp). During his interview with Allstates Trust Bank, decades ago, where he didn’t meet the academic qualification requirement, he said, ‘My 2:2 degree doesn’t show the full extent of my abilities, and I know I can do much more.’
In addition to his first two girls, Oge and Ogor, he is the father of triplet girls and twin boys. The triplets, Onyinye, Nneka, and Ugo, were born on November 26th, 2006, while the twins, Tony and Toby, were born on January 5th, 2015.
Red is not his favorite color, even though he has ‘thousands’ of red socks and red ties. According to the business mogul, he embraced the color red for his holdings company, Heir Holdings Group, because it signifies warmth, friendship, freshness, fertility, and strength.
He started his career as a young, hungry, and hardworking copier salesman.
Elumelu has a deep appreciation for music, literature, and film. He maintains a private collection of African art and actively supports various African artists as their patron. On one occasion, he flew to Jamaica with the sole mission of setting foot on the soil and walking in the very house where Bob Marley lived.
He is an exercise addict, often sharing photos and videos of his workouts on social media. He has mentioned that exercise is one of the best decisions he ever made, stating, ‘Fitness cultivates a hunger for growth and, over time, even builds momentum that keeps you going.’
The billionaire doesn’t joke with any of his food. He loves to eat corn, particularly boiled corn with a pinch of salt, which he sometimes pairs with coconut.
His favorite sports are lawn tennis and football, often serving as a goalkeeper in primary school.
Since its inception in 2010, the Tony Elumelu Foundation has funded approximately 10,000 young African entrepreneurs across the continent.
In 2020, he was listed as one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and received Belgium’s highest national honor for his business leadership and economic empowerment of young people in Africa. In 2022, he was named Time 100 Impact Award Philanthropist of the Year and was honored with a National Merit Award as the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR).
While he has several mentors and role models, Ebitimi Banigo, who served as the chief executive of the International Merchant Bank of Nigeria from 1981 to 1986, holds a special place. He is Elumelu’s most significant mentor, playing a crucial role in shaping his leadership philosophy.
