Raheem Okoya, son of billionaire industrialist and Eleganza Group founder Chief Rasaq Okoya, says he is not living off his father’s wealth but earning his own money through work and investments. The 22 year old, who serves as an Executive Director at Eleganza Industries and is also a musician, spoke in an interview with BBC News Yoruba.
Raheem explained that he receives a regular salary for his role in the family business and has attracted outside investors who believe in his music career. “I work. I have a salary that I earn. I have investors. People believe in my music and put money behind it,” he said, insisting that his lifestyle is funded by his own efforts.
He stressed that every penny in his bank account comes from his personal hustle, not handouts from his father. While acknowledging the privilege of his background, Raheem said he feels a heavy responsibility to prove himself and overcome doubts from people who assume he was simply “born into money.”
The young executive said his current position at Eleganza is the result of nearly a decade of preparation under his father’s mentorship. He described Chief Okoya as his “number one hero,” recalling how the billionaire once hawked plantain on the streets before building a manufacturing empire.
Raheem also criticised misleading media narratives that portray him as idle or entitled. He said he dislikes “fake news” and wants to be seen as a hardworking entrepreneur and artiste who is determined to make his father proud on his own terms.
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