Adebayo Ogunlesi Biography
Adebayo “Bayo” Ogunlesi CON (b. December 20, 1953) is a Nigerian lawyer and investment banker. He is presently the chairman and managing partner of the private equity firm Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). Ogunlesi was previously the head of global investment banking at Credit Suisse First Boston before being appointed chief client officer and executive vice chairman.
 Adebayo Ogunlesi: History ‧ Bio ‧ Photo |
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| Full Name: | Adebayo “Bayo” O. Ogunlesi |
| Stage Name: | Adebayo Ogunlesi |
| Born: | 20 December 1953 (age 70 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Makun, Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria |
| State Of Origin: | Ogun State |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Education: | Harvard Business School (1979), Harvard Law School (1979), KING’S COLLEGE LAGOS, Lincoln College |
| Height: | 1.59 m |
| Parents: | Theophilus O. Ogunlesi, Susan Olorunfemi Peters |
| Siblings: | Folasade Ogunlesi, Lanre Ogunlesi, Kayode Ogunlesi, Adegbola Ogunlesi |
| Spouse: | Dr Amelia Quist-Ogunlesi (m. 1985) |
| Girlfriend • Partner: | N/A |
| Children: | Carl Ogunlesi, Geoffrey Ogunlesi |
| Occupation: | Lawyer • Investment Banker |
| Net Worth: | $2.3 billion (USD) |
Adebayo Ogunlesi Early life and education
Ogunlesi is from Makun, Sagamu, Ogun State in Nigeria. He is the son of Theophilus Ogunlesi, the first Nigerian professor of medicine at the University of Ibadan. His family is of Yoruba descent.
Ogunlesi attended Kings College, Lagos, a secondary school in Lagos, Nigeria. He earned a B.A. with first-class honors in philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford University in England. Ogunlesi graduated from Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School with a JD-MBA in 1979. He was a member of the Harvard Law Review.
Adebayo Ogunlesi Career
From 1980 to 1981, Ogunlesi worked as a legal clerk for Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall of the United States Supreme Court. Ogunlesi was an attorney in the business practice division of the New York City law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where he had worked as a summer associate while pursuing his M.B.A.
Ogunlesi began working as an advisor on a Nigerian gas project for the investment bank First Boston in 1983. At First Boston, he worked in the Project Finance Group, where he advised customers on transactions and financings in North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. From 1997 until 2002, he was the Head of the Global Energy Group at Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB). In 2002, Ogunlesi was named Global Head of CSFB’s Investment Banking division. In 2002, he also served on Credit Suisse’s Executive Board and Management Committee. From 2004 until 2006, Ogunlesi was Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Client Officer at CSFB.
In July 2006, Ogunlesi founded Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a joint venture with Credit Suisse and General Electric as early investors. He presently serves as chairman and managing partner.
In 2006, GIP purchased London City Airport. In 2009, GIP paid £1.455 billion for a majority stake in London Gatwick Airport. The Nigerian press has dubbed him “The Man Who Bought Gatwick Airport.” GIP also owns Edinburgh Airport, which they purchased in 2012, and Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, which they purchased in February 2018.
In January 2024, BlackRock agreed to purchase Adebayo Ogunlesi’s Global Infrastructure Partners for around $12.5 billion. As part of the agreement to acquire GIP, BlackRock would pay $3 billion in cash and 12 million of its shares. The 400 workers immediately employed by GIP will receive some of the stock, and five of the six founding partners, including the CEO, Adebayo Ogunlesi, will join BlackRock as part of the transaction.
Adebayo Ogunlesi in Donald Trump’s economic team
Adebayo Ogunlesi was a member of former US President Donald Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum, which consisted of business executives who advised the President on economic matters. The forum was founded in December 2016 and terminated in August 2017 due to the controversy over Trump’s response to a white supremacist event in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Ogunlesi was invited to the forum because of his significant knowledge of finance and investment. He is the Chairman and Managing Partner of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a top global infrastructure investment organization. Under Ogunlesi’s leadership, GIP has invested in a variety of infrastructure assets, such as airports, seaports, and renewable energy projects. Ogunlesi’s contributions to the Strategic and Policy Forum covered a wide range of economic problems, including tax reform, trade policy, and infrastructure investment.
He was among numerous corporate leaders who resigned from the forum in response to Trump’s contentious remarks about the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville.
Blackrock acquires Adebayo Ogunlesi’s GIP for $12.5bn
On January 12, 2024, it was revealed that BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management organization, is buying Global Infrastructure Partners, a company founded by Nigerian investment banker Adebayo Ogunlesi, for $12.5 billion.
According to a statement made on Friday, Blackrock will pay $3 billion in cash and issue 12 million shares of Blackrock to Ogunlesi and five other Global Infrastructure Partners co-founders, making them the global asset management giant’s second-largest stockholders.
Additional work Of Adebayo Ogunlesi
Ogunlesi is a member of the DC Bar Association. He spoke at Harvard Law School and the Yale School of Management while working at Credit Suisse First Boston, where he offered a course on transnational investment initiatives in emerging markets.
He joined Goldman Sachs’ board of directors in October 2012. On July 24, 2014, he was appointed lead director.
In December 2016, it was announced that Ogunlesi, along with other corporate executives, would join Donald Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum, which was disbanded on August 16, 2017.
Adebayo Ogunlesi’s Personal Life
Ogunlesi has been married to Dr. Amelia Quist-Ogunlesi, a British-born optometrist, since 1985. They have two kids. In the song “Wonderful,” Burna Boy pays respect to Adebayo, highlighting his hard effort.
Adebayo Ogunlesi Family
Ogunlesi, a native of Sagamu, Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria, is the son of Professor Theophilus O. Ogunlesi, Nigeria’s first professor of medicine. In 1985, Ogunlesi married Dr. Amelia Quist-Ogunlesi, a British-born (retired) optometrist with a degree from City University in London.
Adebayo Ogunlesi Awards and honors
The International Center in New York presented me with the Award of Excellence. Ogunlesi was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Africans by New African Magazine in 2019.
Adebayo Ogunlesi’s Works and publications
Ogunlesi, Adebayo (1979). The Basic Human Needs Approach to Development. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard Law School. OCLC 81062298. Submitted to: Professor Clyde Ferguson, Jr. for the Seminar: Legal Problems of the New International Economic Order (Harvard Third Year Paper)
Net Worth of Adebayo Ogunlesi
With a 17.5% interest in Global Infrastructure Partners, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimates his overall worth to be around $2.3 billion. By the time the sale is completed, Ogunlesi would join the likes of Aliko Dangote, Abdul Samad Rabiu, and other Nigerian dollar-denominated billionaires.
Adebayo Ogunlesi’s private jet
In Nigeria, Adebayo Ogunlesi is not as well-known as the Dangotes, Adenugas, and Otedolas.
However, the man’s successes in the global business community, particularly in the aviation sector, have been widely lauded around the world.
Adebayo Ogunlesi is a Nigerian lawyer and investment banker. He is known as “the man who bought Gatwick Airport” in Nigerian circles. Some people refer to him as the Nigerian who owns three airports in the UK.
In 2009, GIP bought the majority stake in London Gatwick Airport.
Gatwick Airport, commonly known as London Gatwick, is a large international airport in Crawley in Sussex, England. GIP contributed £1.455 billion in the transaction, making it the dominant owner of the airport.
GIP also owns Edinburgh Airport, which it acquired in 2012.
Edinburgh Airport is located in the Ingliston neighborhood of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was Scotland’s busiest airport in 2019, with over 14.7 million passengers. In terms of total passengers, it was the sixth busiest airport in the United Kingdom in 2019.
Adebayo Ogunlesi Social Media
- Instagram handle: Adebayo Ogunlesi (@OgunlesiAdebayo)
- Facebook: Adebayo Ogunlesi
Who Is Adebayo Ogunlesi?
Adebayo “Bayo” Ogunlesi CON is a Nigerian lawyer and investment banker. He is presently the chairman and managing partner of the private equity firm Global Infrastructure Partners.
Where is Adebayo Ogunlesi from?
Ogunlesi, a native of Sagamu, Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria, is the son of Professor Theophilus O. Ogunlesi, Nigeria’s first professor of medicine. In 1985, Ogunlesi married Dr. Amelia Quist-Ogunlesi, a British-born (retired) optometrist with a degree from City University in London.
How many airports does Adebayo Ogunlesi have?
Adebayo Ogunlesi, a Nigerian man, has owned Gatwick Airport with a majority share since 2009. Adebayo’s private equity firm, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP, where he serves as Chairman and Managing Partner), also owns four additional major airports in the UK.
Which airport in the UK is owned by a Nigerian?
Adebayo Ogulesi is the owner of Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, and Edinburgh Airport, all in the UK. This superb, first-class airport owner is a Nigerian-born attorney. Adebayo Ogunlesi is a very successful investment banker.
How much is Adebayo Ogunlesi worth?
With a 17.5% interest in Global Infrastructure Partners, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index puts his entire fortune at over $2.3 billion. By the time the sale is finalized, Ogunlesi will join the ranks of Aliko Dangote, Abdul Samad Rabiu, and other Nigerian dollar-denominated billionaires.
