AFRICA'S YOUNGEST BILLIONNAIRE

IGHO SANOMI

Biography

Igho Charles Sanomi II was born in 1975 in Agbor Delta State, Nigeria, the fifth child (and first son) of a devout Catholic family. His father, the late Dickens Oghenereumu Patrick Sanomi hailed from Delta State Nigeria and was a retired Assistant Inspector General of the Nigerian Police. Mr Sanomi’s mother, Mabel Iyabo Sanomi holds a Royal title of Yeye Jemo of Isotun Ijesha Kingdom in Osun State. She was a renowned nurse and medical entrepreneur from Osun State in South Western Nigeria.
Mr Sanomi entered the world of business shortly after completing his Bachelor's Degree in Geology and Mining at the University of Jos in Northern Nigeria. He co-founded and held a position of Executive Director with Sarian Oil, an Oil Trading Company with its core activities in West Africa. During his time in this role he single handedly developed the company’s trading operations by negotiating the export and delivery of fuel oils from West Africa to the United States Gulf Coast. He also developed a strategic alliance with a major international oil trading group based in Zug, Switzerland. This partnership oversaw the import and export of millions of tons of refined petroleum products to and from the West African coast.

IGHO'S PRIVATE JET

Mr Sanomi is the Chairman of Taleveras which he founded in 2004. Mr Sanomi is also Chairman of the Dickens Sanomi Foundation board of Trustees. Dickens Sanomi Foundation is a non profit charitable organisation which he founded in memory of his late father. He also sits as Chairman and co-chairman of various companies Board of Directors, which he founded or co-founded. These companies activities span from Telecom to Shipping, Aviation and Real Estate Investments worldwide.
His vision and drive has turned Taleveras into a internationally recognized energy and power conglomerate, with offices in London, Geneva, Cape Town, Dubai, Ivory Coast, Abuja and Lagos.
Culled fromighosanomi.

Zuckerberg in Lagos, Nigeria

 ZUCKERBERG

Picture of Facebook founder, Zuckerberg jogging at Ikoyi Bridge, Lagos, Nigeria while on a visit.

Nigerian Youngest Billionnaire

 SIJIBOMI

Sijibomi is notably the youngest Nigerian man so far to reach a billion in earnings from business investments.

The 34 year old entrepreneur who is the CEO of Sujimoto, a real estate business empire, was featured in Forbes Africa as a brave young Entrepreneur, an astute businessman with the capacity to change the Nigerian real-estate industry.

Mr. Ogundele boasts of a vast degree of experience as a venture capitalist and investment strategist has provided a solid background in ensuring Sujimoto achieves its mission in the establishment of classy housing units in Nigeria that can compete with its counterparts globally.

In a previous interview with Punch, Sijubomi revealed his affection for fast cars and antique watches. He got the inspiration for the name Sujimoto from a Japanese university professor he encountered, Dr. Sujimoto Koga who had a profound influence on him.

The very articulate Siju loves the luxurious lifestyle and he is not afraid to enjoy the best things in life. At 33, he bought a pricey Patek Phillipe wristwatch that costs $150,000 (N23 million) and when asked, he said he procured it so his grandson can one day use it.

The young man who had a very humble beginning in Agege is responsible for the popular Medici Terraces at Milverton Road, Ikoyi. The buildings are architectural masterpieces that would make jaws drop instantly.

Mr Ogundele is on the fast lane to unparalleled wealth and he is just a few years away from becoming the next Dangote. His exploits have helped to put Nigeria’s name on the global map especially in the real estate and construction trade.
Culled from Nigerianmonitor.

Success Secrets of Simon Cowell

SIMON COWELL

When Cowell was once asked what the secret to success was, he replied, “Work hard, be patient, and be a sponge while learning your business. Learn how to take criticism. Follow your gut instinct and don’t compromise.” It is by following this recipe that Cowell has shot to fame and earned a reputation as not only a great record producer, music executive, and television personality, but also as an astute and successful entrepreneur.

He Never Backed Down: “I can't bear political correctness,” says Cowell. “I don't like a rule driven life and I hate the fact that you can't criticize a fat person.” Whatever Cowell wants to say, he says; whatever he wants to do, he does; and neither Paula Abdul nor the President of BMG can do anything about it. Cowell’s refusal to compromise or bend in the face of pressure is what has made him not only a character who people love to hate and can’t get enough of, but more importantly a successful force to be reckoned with.

He Never Stopped: Ambition is Cowell’s middle name. Despite expulsion from high school, two failed companies, and a failed reality show, Cowell’s ambition kept him working towards achieving his goals. After making his mark in the U.K., Cowell wanted to take America, and then he wanted the world. No success was ever good enough and it was to this end that he kept producing more.
 
He Accepted Failure: “Not everybody is perfect, and I don't think we should be looking for perfect people,” Cowell said in reference to the “American Idol” search for a new star. Similarly, Cowell never expected perfection from himself. He knew he would make mistakes and experience rejection along the way, but he accepted that, learned from his mistakes and moved on.

He Was Honest: “The object of this competition is not to be mean to the losers but to find a winner,” says Cowell of “American Idol.” “The process makes you mean because you get frustrated. Kids turn up unrehearsed, wearing the wrong clothes, singing out of tune and you can either say, ‘Good job,’ and patronize them or tell them the truth, and sometimes the truth is perceived as mean.” It was in being honest with both himself and others that Cowell was able to walk the path to success.

He Trusted His Instincts: From the Teletubbies to professional wrestlers to pop opera, Cowell dared to listen to his gut and produce albums that few others saw potential in. He was willing to follow his hunches even if it meant taking the road far less traveled. He wasn’t right 100% of the time, but he knew he would go wrong far fewer times if he trusted himself than not.

One quick glance around at the giant billboards advertising “American Idol” and “American Inventor” and the evidence of Cowell’s success is obvious. He recently signed on with Idol for another five years, and with his $100 million/yr salary, Cowell isn’t going anywhere.
Culled from evancarmichael.

Success Secrets of Africa's Richest Man - Dangote

ALIKO DANGOTE

1. Manufacture; don’t just trade

Aliko Dangote started business as a trader of commodities; he gathered business confidence and experience as he grew. In an interview granted, he openly admits that one of his greatest business moves was moving from being a trader to being a manufacturer. He summed it up by saying,
“Manufacture, don’t just trade. There is money in manufacturing even though it is capital intensive. To achieve a big breakthrough, I had to start manufacturing the same product I was trading on; which is commodities.”
I am an advocate of manufacturing because it does not only improve your business status, it also helps you give back to your community and country; with respect to job creation and economic development.

2. Build a brand, and don’t destroy it

This is the second small business success secrets of Aliko Dangote. Aliko Dangote is one of the firm believers of the “Brand Power” and this is what he has to say about it:
“To succeed in business, you must build a brand and never destroy it. One competitive advantage I had when I ventured into manufacturing was my brand “Dangote,” which I diligently built in the course of my trading commodities.” – Aliko Dangote
Sometime ago, Coca Cola’s assets were estimated to be worth $3billion but the brand name alone “Coca Cola” was valued at over $80billion. That’s the power of a brand. So why not start building a brand today? Your brand could be your saving grace in hard times; it could also turn out to be a very strong competitive advantage for your small business.

3. Sell cheap, give quality and don’t kill the competition

To build a successful business, Aliko Dangote emphasizes the importance of selling quality products at affordable price. Selling quality products at an affordable price helps in increasing customer’s loyalty. With respect to competition, Dangote has this to say;
“Don’t kill the competition. Competition is healthy for businesses. It keeps you the entrepreneur on your toes.” – Aliko Dangote
“There is one rule for the industrialist and that is: make the best quality goods possible at the lowest price possible, paying the highest wage possible.” – Henry Ford

4. Start small but dream big

“I built a conglomerate and emerged the richest black man in the world in 2008 but it didn’t happen overnight. It took me thirty years to get to where I am today. Youths of today aspire to be like me but they want to achieve it overnight. It’s not going to work. To build a successful business, you must start small and dream big. In the journey of entrepreneurship, tenacity of purpose is supreme.” – Aliko Dangote

5. Have connections and pray for a big break

The next small business success secret is business connections. Aliko Dangote is respected for his strong network of business and political connections. You can build your connections and strengthen your network in the business world by increasing your corporate social responsibility, signing joint ventures and partnership deals, forming strategic alliances, attending business events and parties, making political donations and paying courtesy visits to those at the helm of affairs.
To survive in business, you must strengthen your business connections and network. And most importantly, you must pray for a big break. Big breaks are very vital to entrepreneurial survival. In fact, I can hardly point to any successful entrepreneur that wasn’t thrust upwards by a big breakthrough.

• Bill Gates had his big break when he negotiated and signed a deal with IBM.
• Aliko Dangote had his big break when he secured a license to import cement. Oprah Winfrey had hers when she started Harpo Studios Productions and acquired the full rights to her shows; “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
• Li Ka Shing had his during a riot period and he began buying properties at rock bottom prices.
• Larry Ellison had his when he secured a deal to build database software for the CIA. The list goes on and on.

So if you really want to take a giant stride in business, you must not only pray for a big break; you must seek it out and be prepared for it when it comes.

6. Believe there is money to be made in your country

Dangote believes one of the main prerequisite to building a successful business and ultimately becoming rich is developing a firm belief in your country. Dangote is a firm believer in his country Nigeria. He believes opportunities abound everywhere but it just takes a smart eye to see them. He encourages everyone to seek opportunities in their own country instead of seeking greener pastures in other countries.

7. All work and less play makes Jack a rich man

A popular saying goes “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” but billionaire Dangote believes that all work and less play makes Jack a rich man. Hear him:
“I enjoy myself a lot but I derive more joy in working. I believe in hard work and one of my business success secrets is hard work. It’s hard to see a youth that will go to bed by 2am and wake up by 5am. I don’t rest until I achieve something.” – Aliko Dangote
My mentor has said it all but I want to add something crucial and that thing is this; “working hard alone doesn’t guarantee success, you must also work smart.“
“It is not really work if you are having fun.” – Pierre Omidyar

8. Give back to those who made you

I hope you are conversant with the saying that goes “no man is an island.” You can never get rich alone. There have to be contributing factors and individuals you will need to leverage upon. Dangote believes in the principle of “give and it shall be given unto you.” Just as stated above, one of the small business success secrets is this; you must give back to those who made you.
“No man becomes rich without himself enriching others.” – Andrew Carnegie
Now who are those who made you? These are individuals or entities you leveraged upon to get to the status you are now. They are those who gave you a helping hand when you needed it most. They could be those who gave you business contacts, connections and encouragement. They could be business associates, political associates, investors, loyal customers, good suppliers, political associates, your employees, business team, business partners and so on.

9. Obey the laws of the land

“Why risk going to jail by engaging in illegal businesses when it is easier to make money legally? – Rich dad
Dangote advises entrepreneurs to be law abiding citizens. He encourages everyone to do business as outline by the regulatory bodies. Obeying the laws of the land also entails keeping your credit and tax record clean. Nothing hurts more than striving to build a business empire only to have your assets impounded or frozen by the authorities. So do the right thing.
Culled from goodnewsnigeria.

The Greatest Personalities

RUPERT MURDOCH

Media magnate Rupert Murdoch is the founder and head of News Corporation, a global media conglomerate. He created FOX Broadcasting Company in 1986.

Synopsis

Rupert Murdoch was born on March 11, 1931, in Melbourne, Australia. His father was a famous war correspondent and newspaper publisher. Murdoch inherited his father's papers, the Sunday Mail and the News, and continued to purchase other media outlets over the years. In the 1970s, he started buying American newspapers. Murdoch branched out into entertainment with the purchase of 20th Century Fox Film Corp. in 1985. He later launched his own cable news channel, FOX News.

Early Life and Career

Keith Rupert Murdoch was born on March 11, 1931, on a small farm about 30 miles south of Melbourne, Australia. Since birth, Murdoch has gone by his middle name, Rupert, the name of his maternal grandfather. His father, Keith Murdoch, was a well-known Australian journalist who owned a number of local and regional newspapers: the Herald in Melbourne, the Courier-Mail in Brisbane, and the News and Sunday Mail.
The family farm was named Cruden Farm, after the Scottish village from which both of Murdoch's parents had emigrated. The house at Cruden Farm was a stone building with colonial pillars, adorned with original paintings, a grand piano and a library of books, situated amongst green expanses of farmland and bordered by Ghost Gum trees. Murdoch's favorite childhood pastime was horseback riding. His mother later described her son's childhood: "I think it was a very normal childhood, not in any way elaborate or an overindulged one. I suppose he was lucky to be brought up in attractive—you could say aesthetic—surroundings."
The son of a well-respected journalist, Murdoch was groomed to enter the world of publishing from a very young age. He remembers, "I was brought up in a publishing home, a newspaper man's home, and was excited by that, I suppose. I saw that life at close range, and after the age of ten or twelve never really considered any other." Murdoch graduated from Geelong Grammar, a prestigious Australian boarding school, in 1949 before crossing the ocean to attend Worcester College at Oxford University in England. According to one of his early biographers, Murdoch was a "a normal, red-blooded college student who had many friends, chased girls, went on the usual drinking binges, engaged in slapdash horseplay, tried at sports and never had enough money, no doubt due to his gambling." Murdoch's fun-loving youthful ways came to an abrupt end when his father suddenly passed away in 1952, leaving his son the owner of his Adelaide newspapers, the News and the Sunday Mail. After preparing himself with a brief apprenticeship under Lord Beaverbrook at the Daily Express in London, in 1953, a 22-year-old Murdoch returned to Australia to take up the reins of his father's papers.
Culled from biography.

Success Secrets of Brian Tracy

BRIAN TRACY

1. Dream Big Dreams - How to visualize, imagine and create an exciting picture of personal wealth and prosperity;

2. Develop a Clear Sense of Direction - Learn a powerful, proven goal-setting exercise that can change your life;

3. See Yourself As Self-Employed - How to take complete control of your career and your financial life;

4. Do What You Love To Do - Identify the ideal work for you and then get paid well for doing it;

5. Commit to Excellence - How to move into the top 10% in your field and be paid more than ever before;

6. Work Longer and Harder - How to organize your time so you get more done and contribute more value;

7. Dedicate Yourself to Lifelong Learning - How to continually upgrade your talents and abilities to earn more money;

8. Pay Yourself First - The most powerful process of wealth accumulation ever discovered and how you can use it;

9. Learn Every Detail of the Business - How to become an expert in your chosen field and double your income;

10. Dedicate Yourself to Serving Others - The starting point of all personal fortunes and how to begin;

11. Be Absolutely Honest With Yourself and Others - How and why personal integrity goes hand in hand with financial success;

12. Set Priorities and Concentrate Single-mindedly - The importance of focusing on your most important tasks all day long;

13. Develop a Reputation for Speed and Dependability - How to give yourself the winning edge in everything you do;

14. Be Prepared to Climb From Peak to Peak - Learn how to recognize the cycles and trends that can make you rich;

15. Practice Self-Discipline In All Things - Develop the most important quality for financial success;

16. Unlock Your Inborn Creativity - Learn how to solve any problem, overcome any obstacle, achieve any goal;

17. Get Around The Right People - The important of surrounding yourself with winners at each stage of your career;

18. Take Excellent Care of Your Physical Health - How to develop and maintain high levels of energy and fitness;

19. Be Decisive and Action Oriented - How to identify the most important action steps you can take immediately;

20. Never Allow Failure To Be An Option - How to overcome the fears that hold most people back;

21. Pass the "Persistence Test" - Learn how to bounce back from defeat and never, never give up.
Culled from floodle.

Bill Gates 11 Rules for Success

 BILL GATES

Rule # 1: Life is not fair, get used to it.
When life takes away or doesn’t give you what you always wanted, don’t give up. Direct your anger or frustration towards the right way and earn the life you ever wanted in spite of the biggest obstacles that knocked you down.
Rule # 2: The world doesn't care about yourself esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself!
There is no need to show off what you are going to be in the future, don’t fall in the trap. The most important thing about your dream is that you need to protect it till you turn it into a reality. When you have achieved enough don’t forget to give back, that where the world wants to appreciate you.
Rule # 3: You will not make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Grow slow! Be big! You can’t be each and everything you ever wanted or want to become overnight. It takes time. Work on yourself and your goal rather than finding shortcuts to achieve everything. You will surely become what you dream for, what you have to do is work on getting better at digesting your success.
Rule # 4: If you think your teacher is tough, Wait until you get a boss.
Be patient and learn to tolerate your teachers’ or your elder’ scolding on your mistakes. You don’t get people to correct you when you are working, they need the best results anyhow and if you are not able produce the results as quickly and perfectly as possible, you get fired. Take time to correct your mistakes when you still have that time and opportunity.
Rule # 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: They called it OPPORTUNITY.
There is no secret to luck, its all about how good you are in grabbing the opportunities coming your way and make the most out of them for your life. No work is small if you do it in a great way. How about you worry about being the best and achieve your goal rather than worrying about your dignity? Success only comes to those who are willing to get their hands dirty.
Rule # 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Note down each and every mistake and work out on correcting them. Stop throwing stones on others. You only get better when you face your weaknesses and mistakes. Never be dependent on your parents or any other person for correcting your own mistakes.
Rule # 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try "delousing" the closet in your own room.
So if you think your parents are boring and not that good with you, you know the reason now. The biggest thing you can ever do as a daughter/son is learn to be self served and independent. Start learning to take responsibility about your little things. Stop messing up yourself and your life. Be conscious and loyal about your own good or bad actions you take everyday.
Rule # 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades; they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
When you are out in the real world where your fate or survival is in your own hands, you don’t always get second chances. Its do or do not there is no try kind of life you are leading. Be so sure and strongly confident about your choices that you don’t have to regret. Live each and every moment as if you are gonna die next day. Build firm foundations for your life, make your own way through this world.
Rule # 9: When you are out in the real world where your fate or survival is in your own hands, you don’t always get second chances. Its do or do not there is no try kind of life you are leading. Be so sure and strongly confident about your choices that you don’t have to regret. Live each and every moment as if you are gonna die next day. Build firm foundations for your life, make your own way through this world.
Rule # 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Be realistic about everything. You simply want to enjoy discussing about things you think are impossible while someone else is working on them out there and making everything possible for the world. Stay away from your Television, if locks you in the prison of deceptions. Entertainment is important but not compulsory. Living a better life is compulsory. Think from your own brain and stop falling in the trap of going with the flow for everything and anything.
Rule # 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
The biggest failure is pleasing people you don’t like for getting things you don’t need. Be yourself, be self driven for undertaking each and every endeavors of your life. Stop contaminating your positive spirit by spending your precious time with negative ones. Always spend time with people who need you and the people from whom you can learn something better, it takes you nearer to your aims and goals.
Culled from Linkedin.

The Greatest Personalities

BRIAN TRACY

Brian Tracy is Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company specializing in the training and development of individuals and organizations.

Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined.
Brian Tracy has consulted for more than 1,000 companies and addressed more than 5,000,000 people in 5,000 talks and seminars throughout the US, Canada and 70 other countries worldwide. As a Keynote speaker and seminar leader, he addresses more than 250,000 people each year.
He has studied, researched, written and spoken for 30 years in the fields of economics, history, business, philosophy and psychology. He is the top selling author of over 70 books that have been translated into dozens of languages.
He has written and produced more than 300 audio and video learning programs, including the worldwide, best-selling Psychology of Achievement, which has been translated into more than 28 languages.
He speaks to corporate and public audiences on the subjects of Personal and Professional Development, including the executives and staff of many of America's largest corporations. His exciting talks and seminars on Leadership, Selling, Self-Esteem, Goals, Strategy, Creativity and Success Psychology bring about immediate changes and long-term results.
Prior to founding his company, Brian Tracy International, Brian was the Chief Operating Officer of a $265 million dollar development company. He has had successful careers in sales and marketing, investments, real estate development and syndication, importation, distribution and management consulting. He has conducted high level consulting assignments with several billion-dollar plus corporations in strategic planning and organizational development.
He has traveled and worked in over 107 countries on six continents, and speaks four languages. Brian is happily married and has four children. He is active in community and national affairs, and is the President of three companies headquartered in Solana Beach, California.
Culled from BrianTracy.