KOLA ALUKO Nigerian Oil Magnate and Billionaire extraordinaire is one of a handful of black racing drivers driving change in the perceptions of a traditionally white and Asian sport.

 Kola Aluko (born 20 October 1969, in Lagos, Nigeria) is a Nigerian energy business magnate with further interests in African infrastructure development and aviation. Based in Nigeria, Aluko is the Co-Chief Officer and an Executive Director of Atlantic Energy, an indigenous, private upstream oil and gas company, focused on independent exploration and production ('E&P") participation in Nigeria.
Kola Aluko was ranked by Forbes Africa as one of the 40th Richest Africans, as well as included in the Top Ten list of Successful African Entrepreneurs to Follow on
The New African Magazine (November 2013 issue) included Aluko in their 100 Most Influential Africans listing and issue.

Born Kolawole Aluko (Lagos, Nigeria, 20 October 1969), one of nine siblings. Aluko's mother is a pharmacist, his father, Chief Akanni Aluko (Chairman Island Club and High Chief in Alesha, Osun State, Nigeria) a geologist. Chief Akanni Aluko is the only child of Mrs Adedoja Aluko from Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria. Kola Aluko attended Igbogbi College in Lagos. Aluko says, he was "from an early age very ambitious and I always knew I wanted to work for myself". “Highly competitive and keen on sports”, Aluko's entrepreneurial mind set saw him work in different industries, from pharmaceuticals to cars, before settling for the oil industry twenty years ago.  
 
Kola Aluko co-founded Besse Oil, a pioneering oil trading company in Nigeria in 1995. Besse Oil, one of the first to obtain a credit line with major international banks, traded crude oil and fuel oil, as well as being a major importer of gasoline.
Six years later, in 2001, Aluko founded Fossil Resources, an indigenous downstream oil and gas company, where he held the role of CEO.
In 2004, Kola Aluko formed Exoro Energy International, becomes CEO and moves into Exploration and Production. Exoro Energy partnered with a division of Weatherford, to showcase its exploration and production technology.
In 2007, the division of Weatherford was bought out and merged with Exoro Energy to form an independent company, Seven Energy. Aluko was a Director of Seven Energy from 2007 until his departure in 2011.
Seven Energy, an indigenous Nigerian oil and gas exploration, development, production and distribution company, is "run by the trio of Kola Aluko, Phillip Ihenacho and Jide Omokore."
Kola Aluko, together with a team of Nigerian and international E&P executives, co-founds Atlantic Energy in 2011, a private upstream oil and gas company, with an increased focus on under-developed producing fields in Nigeria. In partnership with the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) Atlantic Energy focuses mainly on Niger Delta assets, contracted and executed under Strategic Alliance Agreements (SAAs) with the NPDC.
In 2010, Aluko diversified into the aviation industry, becoming a member of the Vistajet advisory board, assisting with the West-African expansion of the Swiss-based luxury aviation company.

 

 Kola Aluko is a co-founder of Made in Africa (MiAF), a foundation 'set up to support and fund master plans and feasibility studies for transformational and large scale developments and infrastructure projects across the African continent'. MiAF's other co-founder is the Ghanaian fashion designer Oswald Boateng.
On 26 September 2013, MiAF launched the Africa50 fund at New York's NASDAQ, Africa's largest infrastructure investment vehicle to date. MiAF, in alliance with the African Development Bank (ADB), aims to raise US$500 million for Africa50 by early 2014. The two institutions are supported by the investment expertise of Capri Global Capital - a US-based investment advisory founded by African-American fund manager Quintin E. Primo III.
Aluko, who is based in Nigeria and Switzerland, is a passionate motor sports enthusiast, who races and competes in conjunction with Swiss-based Ferrari team Kessel Racing. In December 2012, Aluko and his Kessel team-mates Thomas Kemenater and Maurizio Mediani came third in the final round of the Endurance Champions Cup held at Rome's Vallelunga circuit in Italy.
In interviews Aluko often cites the racing car driver Ayrton Senna as a main inspiration, drawing parallels between racing, business and life in general. When asked on his advise for young entrepreneurs, Aluko said, “The key is focus, focus and again focus. Identify the things you are good at, your strengths, and get to work on your weaknesses. The racing car driver Ayrton Senna, a man who inspired me greatly, is a good example. Senna was an exceptional driver, however, initially he was terrible in wet conditions, compared to racing in the dry. But he identified his weakness, and so every time it rained, he jumped into his car, and practiced, practiced, practiced, until he arguably became the best, wet weather driver in history."                                                          

Aluko is one of a handful of black racing drivers driving change in the perceptions of a traditionally white and Asian sport. He is on the board of the Nigeria FIA and recently hosted FIA President Jean Todt as he made a two day visit to Nigeria to investigate the possibility of bringing motor racing to the country.

Aluko owns Kessel Racing’s Ferrari 458 GT2 and has previously competed in the Winter Series GTOpen in Montmelo Catalonia, Spain “It is a way to take my mind off everything else,” he considers.

He currently races out of his base in Lugano Switzerland, where Kessel Racing is also located. There he stores his collection of race cars and classic cars. They include classic cars from the 1960s like a California Spider and a 250 Luso, a Ferrari Dino and others like the Aston Martin DB5, thoroughbred Ferraris like the 2GO, the F40, the F50 and the Enzo.

“Obviously I can’t drive all the cars but the guys who look after them are professionals,” he says. “My cars are my passion and an investment, mostly they go up in value but I do drive them.

“The Maserati MC12 racing car was one of only nine built and has won championships in the past. I have the F1 car from 2008 driven by Kimi Raikonnen and tested by Michael Schumacher, a Goldwing SL from the 60s. They are better investments than a lot of other things.”

“If you look inwards and try to focus on the best you can do; if you are the sort of person who always challenges himself, then you are so far ahead of the others and the game. You can only do as best as you can. That is something I have got from racing.” His name is a door opener around the world. Imagine a ‘lifestyle institution’ like ‘Harrods’ speaking ones name with a smile on their lips, ever ready to acknowledge he shops at their store. We hear he is one of the ‘biggest spenders’ in Harrods. Imagine the top manager of a Ferrari franchise asking in curiosity how special is the name ‘Kola’ , because one of their special friends/customer is Kola Aluko. Another ‘Kola’ not him, had gone to buy a Ferrari, eliciting the curiosity. For one to better appreciate how legendary the guy’s car collection is, we heard a special coffee table book was published to celebrate those cars, just like it was done for Ralph Lauren’s cars collection.

Aluko’s love of cars transcends the trope of obsession or ordinary fleeting fascination. His vehicles garages in his palatial mansions across the world stocks the best of state of the art automobiles. He is also an avid Formula 1 enthusiast; some say he has over 20 plus racing cars for his own F1 Team. Besides cars, the Nigerian energy and aviation tycoon betrays a love for expensive timepieces. Sources close to him claim that his wrist watch collection is to die for; he has a particular one that cost him a whooping $1 million.

The highflying entrepreneur believes that the home depicts the quality of soul possessed by a man hence his acquisition of choice apartments and mansions in the most highbrow areas across the world. He owns expensive and tastefully furnished homes in the most exotic locations including Monaco, Spain, Los Angeles, New York in United States of America, London, United Kingdom to mention a few. His home in New York, USA is said to be located at one of the most luxurious and most expensive flats in the world with a super spectacular view. The one in at LA mansions in Beverly Hills, is said to be on a hill all by itself and it is padded by the best of designer home stuff one can imagine. The apartment cost him about $40 Million dollars.

He once flew in a renowned diamond jeweler from New York, USA and commissioned him to build a $2.5 million diamond collar for his second wife, Teni Edu. He had seen the same necklace on one of the Trumps and had asked for it, but since they didn’t have it for retail sale it had to be built for madam. So jeweler was flown in on Kola’s jet, madam’s neck was measured and then collar was later delivered made to measure.

At Kola’s birthday at one of his private homes in Los Angeles, California last year, the party was hosted by 2 of the best pop icons in the US, in the persons of Jay Z & P-Diddy. Both stars were the ones that sent out the invitations for the party.

Whenever Kola visits his favourite joint, 1 Oak, it’s like the late Michael Jackson has come to bless the joint with his distinguished presence. We hear that the owner waits to come to take him in, and remains at his beck and call all through, while the spotlight is focused on him and his guests till he leaves. He is probably one of their most valued customer. Like someone said and we quote ”he is the most interesting black character he has come across in a long while”. Kola supposedly single handedly sponsored Kanye West’s Paris Fashion sometime ago.

One other very interesting thing about Mr. Aluko is that he loves the Scandinavians a lot. Especially the Swedish.

Kola recently joined the rarefied league of owners of the most expensive yachts in the world. Atop this pile is a boat known as History Supreme or Baia Supreme, said to be around $4.5 to 4.8billion Dollars and owned by Malaysian businessman, Robert Kuok, there’s Roman Abramovich’s $1.5billion Eclipse and many more, but Kola Aluko’s Hessen built Galactica Star valued at $100million is most probably the most expensive boat owned by a black man. The humongous boat even very recently won at the Monaco Boat Show 2013.

The Galactica Star super yacht is 65 meter long of super luxury. The yacht in September of this year won 3 prestigious awards at the Monaco Yacht Show- Best Yacht design, La Belle Classic Crest & finally a Baccarat Crystal Sail Trophy presented by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, for winning the Prix du Design which is giving for the Most Innovative, Elegant & Distinguished design at the Monaco Yacht Show. Kola frolics about town with controversial former American runway queen, Naomi Campbell. Since Campbell broke up with her billionaire boyfriend, she hasn’t been seen in suggestive poses with any man until her recent dalliances with Kola Aluko.

Source: News of the people