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An 8-Point Look Inside The Sleep-Deprived Life Of Billionaire Aliko Dangote

An 8-Point Look Inside The Sleep-Deprived Life Of Billionaire Aliko Dangote

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Aliko Dangote, the primary shareholder in Nigerian cement manufacturer Dangote Cement, is the richest black person on the planet. Dangote’s conglomerate, the Dangote Group, owns 13 companies with an interest in commodities such as sugar, flour and oil. Here’s a look inside the high-profile and hectic life of billionaire Aliko Dangote.

Source: Forbes.com

dailypost.ng
dailypost.ng

He used to sell candy

Always business minded, Dangote started turning a profit at a young age. In primary school, Dangote would buy candy and increase the price tag, according to Investopedia.com. This wasn’t necessarily about needing money, as Dangote was raised in an upper-income household.

sunnewsonline.com
sunnewsonline.com

His family loan

Dangote’s business wouldn’t have been possible without a loan from his uncle, who was also one of his first employers. Dangote’s uncle loaned the budding entrepreneur 500,000 naira (around $2,500) in 1977 and gave him three months to pay it back. Dangote respected their contract, says Investopedia.com. He used this money to buy imported commodities at wholesale prices and sell them in small quantities.

Naija247news.com/Dangote cement
Naija247news.com/Dangote cement

 

He owns too much cement

Not actual cement, but the Dangote Cement company. Dangote owns 90 percent of the mega cement manufacturer, but that is against the rules of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, which say one person can only own 80 percent of shares in a company, according to Thecable.ng. Plans are in motion to reduce Dangote’s ownership of the cement company this year.

Donald Trump New Hampshire Town Hall on August 19th, 2015 (Image: flickr.com)
Donald Trump New Hampshire Town Hall on August 19th, 2015 (Image: flickr.com)

How rich is he?

Dangote is estimated to have a net worth greater than that of Oprah’s, Donald Trump’s and Roman Abramovich’s combined. He is also richer than all Nigerian billionaires on the Forbes rich list combined, says Thecable.ng.

Romancemeetslife.com/Fatima Dangote and Aliko Dangote
Romancemeetslife.com/Fatima Dangote and Aliko Dangote

He’s seen tragedy

Dangote’s family has seen its share of tragedy. Dangote’s niece, Fatima Bello Dangote, battled brain cancer for two years before dying tragically. Fatima was also Dangote’s adopted daughter, who he raised as his own child after her father–Dangote’s brother–died, says Pulse.ng.

Dangote Buys Tiger Brands Nigeria
Aliko Dangote
Photo: Getty Images

He sleeps three hours a night

Dangote has admitted in interviews that he sleeps between the hours of 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., typically getting only three hours of sleep. “I don’t rest until I achieve something,” the workaholic told Venturesafrica.com.

eventiemozioni.com
eventiemozioni.com

He likes private planes

Between March 2010 and March 2011, Nigeria’s wealthiest spent over $225 million on private jets. Dangote is a frequent flyer, says Forbes.com. He bought a $45 million Bombardier jet for himself on his 53rd birthday.

From Arab Spring To Shanghai Summer
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He once spent five hours in China

Not in total, but on one visit. Dangote has said that his schedule is so hectic, that on one business trip, he flew all the way from Nigeria to China and spent only five hours there before returning home. He told Howwemadeitinafrica.com that he does not take his private plane to China because his pilots need more time to rest than they could get in the time he spends in China.