I was dollar millionaire at 30, became labourer in England at 35 — Farooq Oreagba

Businessman Farooq Oreagba, widely known as "Mr Steeze," has shared a striking account of his financial trajectory, detailing a fall from being a dollar millionaire at age 30 to working as a laborer in England just five years later. Oreagba recounted this dramatic shift during an appearance on the MENtality show, hosted by Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and co-hosted by Banky W, where discussions revolved around wealth, materialism, and life's priorities.

During the show, Oreagba posed a hypothetical question to Obi-Uchendu about the value of money, asking what he would do if offered $10 million with only 24 hours left to live. Obi-Uchendu's response, that he could earn $10 million and thus it wasn't worth sacrificing his life, prompted Oreagba to reflect on his own life. "Right. So then all of a sudden, living actually has a lot of value to it," Oreagba stated, before revealing his personal experience: "I was a dollar millionaire at 30. At 35, I was working as a labourer."

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I was a dollar millionaire at 30. At 35, I was working as a labourer.

Oreagba explained that this drastic change occurred after he lost his job as a banker while pursuing a different dream. He admitted to "hustling, doing all kinds of things" to maintain his previous lifestyle, but acknowledged that "nobody saw it." He confessed, "The Porsches were still outside. I had my priorities wrong."

This period of hardship profoundly altered Oreagba's outlook on wealth and success. He now stresses that many people place excessive value on money and status, often neglecting crucial aspects of life such as health and relationships. Approaching his 60th birthday, Oreagba maintains a similar lifestyle, noting that his public profile increased significantly after a photo of him at the 2024 Ojude Oba Festival went viral. He concluded by emphasizing, "We place value on the wrong things. I've said this before, you may have 99 problems, but the minute you have a health problem, you only have one problem."

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We place value on the wrong things. I've said this before, you may have 99 problems, but the minute you have a health problem, you only have one problem.