1. He was once a professor.

Thames Polytechnic, now the University of Greenwich, can boast of the real-world success of its alumnus. Ibrahim taught undergraduate telecommunications courses at the school in the early 1980s before starting his own firm.

2. He “shares” the wealth.

When Ibrahim started MSI Cellular Investments, he awarded shares in the company to his employees. At the time, they were valued at 28 cents per share. After MTC bought the company, the share value increased a hundredfold to nearly $28 per share.

3.  He is a passionate speaker.

At the University of Ghana, Ibrahim tore off his coat and tie and delivered a heartfelt speech on Africa’s future. Asking the students to call him Mo, the billionaire lectured and answered questions for two-and-a-half hours. “It was fantastic,” he said later. “The kids never disputed what I was saying — ‘Stop making excuses.'” (Kenauletta.com)

4. He values education.

After studying electrical engineering at Alexandria University, the entrepreneur went on to earn graduate degrees at the University of Bradford and University of Birmingham. Ibrahim credits his mother Aida as an influence. She believed in education as a means for improvement and was relentless in pushing her children, he said.

5. He gets mobbed more than rock stars.

At meetings in Ghana for anti-poverty organization ONE, Ibrahim traveled with co-founder Bono, lead singer of U2. Bono said that “People were elbowing me out of the way to get to Mo.”(Kenauletta.com) Even at the airport, taxi drivers and baggage handlers shouted Ibrahim’s name and surrounded him.

6. He values the rule of law.

In addition to business acumen, Ibrahim talks about the value of the social contract and freedom from corruption. “We cannot expect loyalty to an unjust regime,” he said. “The state and its elites must be subject, in theory and in practice, to the same laws that its poorest citizens are.” (Huffingtonpost.com)

7. He has been honored in Senegal.

Senegal’s president Macky Sall awarded Ibrahim with the National Order of the Lion. Created in 1960, the civil and military award recognizes exceptional merit and service to Senegal. Sall praised Ibrahim’s commitment to leadership and governance.

moibrahimfoundation.org

8. He has honored other leaders.

In addition to receiving honors from Africa’s leaders, the billionaire has returned the favor. Ibrahim recognizes heads of state with the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, an honorarium that pays $5 million. In 2007, Nelson Mandela received an honorary award from Ibrahim’s foundation.

9. He sponsors future leaders.

The Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships Programme, founded in 2010, offers mentorship for promising African nationals. Leadership fellows receive guidance and training at the African Development Bank, U.N. Economic Commission for Africa, and World Trade Organization.

10. He is active on social media.

In addition to a Twitter account, Ibrahim blogs on the Huffington Post and maintains a Facebook page for his foundation. The billionaire has also had interviews live streamed on Youtube with HBO’s History Maker’s series.