Why Steve Jobs, Michael Jackson are my role models - Tony Elumelu

Tony Elumelu, a billionaire businessman behind Heirs Holdings Group has revealed who his role models are.

Elumelu said Steve Jobs and Michael Jackson have certain characteristics that he has drawn as inspiration.

He made the revelations while responding to question during a one-on-one chat with Richard Attias at the 7th edition of the Future Investment Initiative: The New Compass, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The African leading investor labeled Steve Jobs, an entrepreneur whose business crossed $1 trillion market capitalization even after his death, a man of foresight, and Michael Jackson, one of greatest musicians of all time, a man of excellence.

He said: “Unfortunately they are both dead. But I like steve Jobs for all the things he did. The man who founded a company in his death, years after his death, became the first company to cross $1 trillion in market capitalization. That is great… A man of great foresight. I like him.

And second one interestingly is Michael Jackson. Why do I like Michael Jackson? He epitomized hard work, and excellence. You know, people often say or you go watch Michael Jackson, say what a star, wow, he’s so talented, he’s blessed. He worked hard for it. If you watched ‘this is it’, if you watch some of his videos, you see the practice, the hard work, and the excellence that goes into it. Then you begin to realize that this is not a fluke.

"It's not just a fluke, it’s not just luck. He worked hard for it. And this is what I preach to my children. This is what I tell my children, and my colleagues about life. You need to work hard, put in the time, the hours and you see the outcome."

“So these two men, a man of foresight, Steve Jobs. Michael Jackson, a man of excellence.”

The Heirs Holdings Group is a Nigerian conglomerate with investments in Financial Services, Power, Hospitality, Oil and Gas and Healthcare.

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