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Billionaire Dangote reveals how he bought his first private aircraft at 22
16th September, 2026 01:56 AM
Nigerian billionaire and Africa’s wealthiest man, Aliko Dangote, has revealed that he bought his first private aircraft at the age of 22, reflecting on how his attitude towards wealth and luxury has changed over the years.
Speaking on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, during a TV interview, the billionaire stated that he acquired the aircraft when he was 22 years old just a few months before he turned 23.
Dangote questions wealth without factories
While reflecting on his experience, Dangote said owning a private aircraft should not be the only measure of financial success.
He questioned the contribution of wealthy people who own aircraft but have not invested in productive businesses such as factories.
“So when I see people now owning aircraft all over the place, flying all over, they don’t have one single factory,” he said.
According to Dangote, such spending raises questions about how wealth is being used to contribute to economic growth.
“So it means that they are not actually helping in the growth of the economy, and that has to change,” he added.
His comments come as Dangote has continued to build businesses across key sectors, including manufacturing and petroleum.
His legacy is industrialising Africa
Dangote said his focus has shifted beyond personal wealth and towards the wider economic transformation of the continent.
“But my own real legacy, what do I want to leave as a legacy, is the industrialising of Africa,” he said.
He acknowledged that transforming Africa’s industrial sector is too large a task for one person to accomplish alone.
“I mean, I cannot do it alone,” Dangote said.
However, he expressed confidence that more African entrepreneurs will join efforts to expand industrialisation in the coming years.
“I am 100% sure in the next two, three years, other Africans will join me,” he said.
Dangote added that once more people participate, he believes Africa’s industrialisation efforts will gain greater momentum.
Nigerian people’s IPO shares
His remarks comes moments after he launched Africa’s largest share sale yet with the initial public offering of his oil refinery, targeting the general public to raise as much as approximately Ksh271 trillion for its expansion.
Dangote, who is Africa’s richest man, has marketed the offer of a roughly 3% stake as a “people’s IPO”, while announcing that the move is aimed at giving ordinary Nigerians the opportunity to participate in the success of the plant.
According to financial reports, Nigerians can participate in the IPO by buying as few as 10 shares on fintech and other digital investment platforms, which translates into a minimum investment amount of about Ksh500.
The development offers a useful opportunity for Kenyans to understand how shares work and what it means to become a shareholder in a company.
