Grammy-winning Afrobeats artist Damini Ogulu, known professionally as Burna Boy, has confirmed ownership of a new, custom-built Bugatti Chiron reportedly worth over ₦9 billion.
He made the announcement on Friday, July 3, 2026, during a performance at the Afronation festival in Portugal.
The vehicle, described by its makers as a “one-of-one” widebody model, was customized by Venuum, a luxury car modification company based in Dubai. Venuum called the project a “fully bespoke vision” and said the redesign lifts the standard Chiron into a “completely different dimension.” The car carries the singer’s name engraved on its rear spoiler and, according to the company, is the first widebody Chiron of its kind in the world.
Image Credit: X
News of the purchase followed with videos of a Venuum representative unveiling the vehicle circulating on social media.
During his set in Portugal, Burna Boy addressed anticipated criticism directly, telling the crowd: “I buy Bugatti them ask which road I go drive am, no be today we dey do road like Julius Berger.” The line referenced Julius Berger, a construction firm long associated with road projects in Nigeria, and was widely read as a preemptive jab at people questioning where he intends to use the car.
The purchase comes days after Burna Boy turned 35. At his birthday celebration with family and friends, his mother reportedly told him, as he prepared to blow out his candles, not to wish for another car and to instead consider finding a wife.
Reaction on social media has been divided. Several users praised the purchase as proof of the singer’s financial standing, pointing to his recent “I Told Them” tour earnings as evidence he can comfortably afford it. Others focused on the practicality of driving such a car in Nigeria, referencing flooding and road conditions in Lagos, with one user asking, “Where him wan drive am…..Hope say no be Lekki.” A third group criticized the spending as poorly timed given economic conditions in the country, with one comment describing it as “a national budget item.” Another X user, deemed it as insensitive especially with the abduction of Oyo school children, who are still in captivity.
Some users also questioned the reported ₦9 billion figure, suggesting Bugatti’s personalization program, known as Ad Personam, typically adds a smaller amount to a vehicle’s base cost than the figure being circulated. This claim has not been independently confirmed.
The purchase adds to a recent run of achievements for Burna Boy. He also matched, then surpassed, a record held jointly with fellow Nigerian singer Tems for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries by an African artist, reaching nine entries following the debut of his World Cup collaboration with Colombian singer Shakira at number 75 on the chart.
He now has at least one song on the Hot 100 for six consecutive years, a first for an African artist.
