Chief Antonio Oladeinde Fernandez was a Nigerian business magnate, diplomat and Permanent Representative of the Central African Republic to the United Nations who died on September 1, 2015, in Brussels Belgium.
He was considered one of the richest men in Africa thanks to the numerous business enterprises he owned.
Fernandez was born August 12th 1929. Today would have been his 89th birthday.
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Fernandez ran an oil company called Petro Inett which obtained a 50% share with South African-based Energy Africa Limited in a deal with the state oil company for exploration rights in a 4,700 km2 area of Angola’s coast in 1996.
In addition to a variety of other chieftaincy titles, he held the title of the Apesin Ola of the Egba clan of Yorubaland.
However, this unbelievably rich man has some qualities that will surely make you wish you were born with a silver spoon.
1. The billionaire had six private jets. When he enters a restaurant or boutique, everyone must leave because he cannot eat or shop with ‘commoners’.
He owns a French castle in France which was once used by Napoleon Bonaparte, the Emperor Of France.
2. Fernandez is of the popular Fernandez family of Lagos. Originally, the Fernandezes were descendants of freed slaves from Brazil, where Portuguese is the official language. Some of the first modern-styled buildings in Lagos were built by the Fernandezes, and these buildings are known for their spectacular Brazilian architecture.
3. Fernandez’s eldest child is former Lagos State Commissioner, Chief (Mrs) Olateju Phillips. His other children include Gbemi, Anthony, Akin, Titi, Oyinkan, Atinuke, Koye and Abimbola Fernandez, who is an artiste (known as ‘Bim’ Fernandez, she is based in New York and released a single “Let’s take it naked” in 2014.
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One of his grandchildren is DJ Caise, (Derin Phillips) is also making his mark in the entertainment industry.
4. Antonio Oladehinde Fernandez is a great combination of a diplomat. Although he is a Nigerian, the multi-lingual and exceptional business man was appointed the permanent representative of Central African Republic (CAR) at the United Nations in 1997. This was before he served as the special adviser to the President of Mozambique on International Economic Matters and from 1992-1995.
5. The high-classed rich man rarely comes to Nigeria although he has houses in Kano, a personalized tower in Lagos, New York (where he is said to stay almost permanently), Scotland, France, Belgium and the United Kingdom. But that’s not all, he has accounts in the Cayman Islands, France, Switzerland, Ireland, Hong Kong, Scotland and the United States.
6. He has been married more than once. But he is said to recently married to a beauty from Kano State simply identified as Haleema; She has a daughter, Mahreyah. She is said to be of the Alhaji Muhammadu Maude (also known as Maude Tobacco) family of Kano. Alhaji Maude was the Presidential Liaison Officer for Kano State during the Shehu Shagari presidency.
7. He is highly loved and respected by the Ogboni Confraternity and in Yorubaland. His family motto is: ‘Aguntan meji kii mumi ninu koto kan na’ which simply means ‘two rams cannot drink from the same container’ or ‘two captains cannot be on a ship’.
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