Mindset and Thinking
Paystack co-founder Ezra Olubi shared an important piece of his life yesterday: he is a sill tenant in Lagos even though he is unbelievably liquid after Paystack was acquired by Stripe for $200 million.
But the young man is right, and this is why
A friend recently visited me.
I live in a rented duplex in a secluded neighborhood in Lagos.
My guest was shocked that I live in a rented 4 bedroom duplex when I could have saved and built mine.
I laughed and then told him that at this stage of my growth,
I don’t think I need to build my own house yet.
It is cheaper for me to rent, which is why
Building on my estate will cost me 200 million naira.
A plot of land alone is worth 90–100 million, depending on who Is selling it.
Instead of burying 200 million in a dead asset. it is more economically wise for me to plough the money into setting up a daily 5,000-modular refinery someplace in Akwa Ibom or a tissue conversion business in Lagos,
When the modular refinery business takes shape and breaks even, the business can fulfill my vanity by building a palatial Manson of my choice anywhere in the world, and the business will continue to be operational.
When my oga and the MD of Tiger Foods, Don Ebubeogu were building up Tiger Foods with his older brother, they were tenants in GRA Onitsha for the longest time.
They were liquid, but they chose to plough the money the business was generating back into the business.
Even though their senior staff were busy buying and building their house.
A lot of people who knew that they were renting thought they were stupid but they ignored the distraction and noise but rather focused on the grind.
They finally built their houses eight years ago in Onitsha.
Their house is unarguably one of the finest properties you can see in Onitsha.
A palatial mansion befitting of kings, built in the old Roman Empire style, and it must have cost them billions of naira to do that.
Tiger Foods funded the project for them without stress.
So the money they would have used to build their first properties was plugged back into the business.
The money grew and funded their vanities.
They have Tiger Foods as their business, and their residence is by the side.
This is the standard, and this is how it is supposed to be.
Our parents made that mistake, investing in illiquid assets that did not generate enough cash flow on the properties where they would live.
You know, I want to be a landlord.
That is why. So many of us grew up seeing our parents with illiquid assets all over the place but no cash flow and a decent 50 million in the bank that could cover any life emergencies.
And our generation is making that same mistake again, which is fine because Nigerians have an emotional attachment to their homes, which is good.
If there is one lesson I learned from my mentor, Peace Mass Transit Chairman,Dr. Samuel Maduka Onyishi, MON it is to think long-term even when short-term is alluring and very attractive.
That 200 million you want to use to build your first house can start a business that can generate the money you need to build that house, and the business will still continue operating.
I think that is what Ezra has done, and I think he is an example and poster boy of this long-term mindset, just like my mentor taught me.
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