- Highlighting Excellence in Tech, Finance, and Innovation
- Profiles of Wemimo Abbey, Tope Awotona, and Adebayo Ogunlesi
Three remarkable Nigerians—Wemimo Abbey, Tope Awotona, and Adebayo Ogunlesi—have been celebrated on the Forbes 2024 List of the most powerful, impactful, and wealthiest Black Americans. The trio, now based in the United States, has made significant strides in fintech, scheduling software, and global infrastructure investment.
Wemimo Abbey: Empowering Renters Through Esusu
At just 32, Wemimo Abbey is the Cofounder and Co-CEO of Esusu, a New York-based fintech company that helps renters build credit histories by reporting rent payments to credit bureaus.
- Impact: Over 1.8 million Americans have used Esusu, with its services offered in over 20,000 properties.
- Milestone: In 2022, Esusu raised $130 million in funding, achieving a valuation of $1 billion.
- Background: Abbey, born in Lagos, Nigeria, moved to the US with his mother, who sold her wedding ring to fund his education. He previously worked at PwC as a mergers and acquisitions consultant and cofounded a nonprofit and a data analytics startup.
Tope Awotona: Revolutionizing Scheduling with Calendly
At 43, Tope Awotona is the Founder and CEO of Calendly, a scheduling software startup valued at $3 billion.
- Journey: Frustrated by the inefficiency of scheduling emails, Awotona founded Calendly in 2013, using his 401(k) as seed funding.
- Achievements: By 2021, he raised $350 million to scale Calendly, making him one of the few Black billionaires in tech with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion.
- Background: Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Awotona moved to Atlanta at 15, earning a degree in business and management information from the University of Georgia.
Adebayo Ogunlesi: Transforming Global Infrastructure Investment
Adebayo Ogunlesi, 70, is the Chairman and Co-Founder of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a private equity firm acquired by BlackRock for $12.5 billion.
- Influence: Ogunlesi remains CEO of GIP, which oversees investments worldwide.
- Education: He holds degrees from Oxford University, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Business School.
- Career: After clerking for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Ogunlesi spent 20 years as an investment banker at Credit Suisse before cofounding GIP in 2006. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.7 billion.
A Legacy of Excellence
The inclusion of Abbey, Awotona, and Ogunlesi alongside cultural icons like Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, and Michael Jordan highlights the diverse impact of Black Americans across industries. These Nigerians are a testament to hard work, innovation, and resilience, inspiring a new generation to dream big and achieve greater heights.
