“I am a dollar millionaire” — Peter Obi clarifies wealth status, rejects billionaire label
Former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has publicly addressed perceptions surrounding his personal wealth, stating that while he is financially comfortable, he does not consider himself a billionaire.
Speaking in a recent interview, Obi explained that he prefers to live modestly despite his financial success.
He emphasised that he has no obligation to display his assets or publicly validate his earnings.
“I don’t have to flaunt it around… Those companies pay me dividends. That is my own money,” he said. “If somebody comes tomorrow and says you own this, it doesn’t matter. I don’t need to show them. I don’t need to wear them around. That’s it.”
Obi noted that his financial stability is the result of years of disciplined corporate engagement and prudent management.
He encouraged scrutiny of his professional track record, stating, “I’ve passed through corporations. Go and check my records.”
Addressing public misconceptions about his lifestyle, Obi remarked that his frugal approach may have contributed to assumptions about his financial standing.
“It’s like you’re a successful businessman, probably a billionaire, but you lead a frugal life, which is why people think you are just an ordinary Joe,” he said. “I’ve never claimed to be a poor man. I’ve always said I’m a comfortable man.”
He added that by global standards, he qualifies as a millionaire.
“I’m a comfortable man anywhere on the surface of the globe. Because they say if you have $1 million, you’re a millionaire. So I have that. So I’m a millionaire anywhere in the world.”
Obi’s comments come amid longstanding public scrutiny of the personal wealth of Nigerian political figures, particularly those who campaign on reform and accountability platforms.
