Founder and President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has revisited his plan to buy English Football Club, Arsenal.
For years, his interest to buy the one of the world famous clubs has been discussed in the media space but no one knows been when the deal would be sealed. But the richest African has let the cat out of the bag.
Dangote said he couldn’t buy Arsenal last decade because he was focusing on his $20 billion projects but with the project scheduled for completion soon, he would buying Arsenal in 2021.
“There’s a team I will like to buy someday. But like what I keep saying, today, we have $20 billion worth of project. And that is what I’m trying to concentrate on. I’m trying to finish building the company after we finish, maybe sometime in 2021, we can.
“I’m not buying Arsenal right now, till I finish all this (project) because I’m trying to take the company to the next level.”
Wondering how Dangote amassed his wealth?
Alhaji, as his popularly called by his employees and close friends, has cleared the air.
Contrary to the public perception that his wealth came from his wealthy lineage, as his late great-grandfather, late grandfather, and father were among the richest individuals in Nigeria and West Africa at their time, the business mogul made it without such help.
Journey to being a billionaire: He said he became a cement trader in his early twenties without the inheritance.
“I came from a wealthy family. My late great-grandfather was actually the richest in the 1940s in West Africa. My late grandfather was one of the wealthiest Nigerians. The family name was Dantata; that’s from my maternal side.
“My father was also rich, but he was in business and also in politics. But one thing that I am very proud of is that I didn’t inherit any money from my father. I built everything from scratch to where I am,” he told David Rubenstein of Bloomberg.