How Being Richest Black Woman in the World Changed Me - Folorunsho Alakija

If you follow my page, then you know that I have made at least two posts about Folorunsho Alakija – the Nigerian woman who Forbes once described as the richest black woman in the world. She is somebody that is intriguing to me and it seems she is intriguing to you too because as much as it is common knowledge that she has all of this money, she herself rarely ever flaunts it big or talks about what it’s like to be the richest black woman in the world.

Not until now that is!

In a new interview she agreed to do in celebration of her 70th birthday, Folorunsho Alakija sat down with Channels Television to answer questions on how being named the richest black woman in the world affected her as well as how she is able to manage her business along with her personal life. This is what Alakija said.

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During the interview, when Alakija was asked:

"You were named the richest black woman in the world by Forbes. How much of a burden does that bring for you?"

She responded:

Well, it certainly did change a few things. However it didn’t change who I am. There’s a lot of expectation from the public. People believe that well you have it, you should just spread it to everybody. But you find that God has sent you to some people and your focus will be more on where God has sent you. Yes you will still do others but you can’t do everything and you can’t help everybody. Everybody believes that they should partake of what you have. Entitlement mentality. But it can’t work like that. Even if they were in the shoes of people like me, they won’t do it like that either. It’s just impossible. You can’t help everybody. You can help as many as you can but you can’t help everybody and you can’t please everybody no matter how hard you try.

The interviewer then asked her

"You’re a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and a businesswoman. How do you manage all these roles together?"

To which Alakija responded:

You need to draw up a schedule that will work for your life and for your family that will encompass everybody as far as family is concerned. You need to balance your time. For instance I know that one of the measures I took at a moment in time to manage my time was that as far as business was concerned, I would let people know that they don’t have to see me physically to get things done. I would say listen, the phone will help you and I. For many years I didn’t have a cook or chef but with more demand being placed on my time, I sat my husband down and told him we’re going to need a cook. In those days what I used to do was I used to get my steward to prepare some things ready for me so that when I come back from work, I can rustle everything up quickly and dinner is ready. It got to a time when even one cook wasn’t going to be enough. But I love cooking and I always make sure that during weekends, now and again, I’m cooking what me and my husband enjoy, what the children enjoy, so that they still feel my presence and it’s not “Oh what she used to cook for us, we can’t get it anymore, she doesn’t cook it anymore” so that what they like, you’re still offering it to them now and again.

Folorunsho Alakija celebrated her 70th birthday on the 15th of July with a reported SEVEN hours of high praise and worship. She says that she intends on living to at least 120 years and that for her, life is just starting.

We wish the same thing for you ma!

That’s All.

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Until next time, have a wonderful rest of your day.