Businessman, Farooq Oreagba, popularly known as “Mr Steeze,” has revealed that he went from being a dollar millionaire at the age of 30 to working as a labourer in England five years later after losing his job as a banker.
Oreagba made the disclosure during an appearance on the MENtality show hosted by media personality, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, and co-hosted by singer Banky W, where the discussion centred on wealth, materialism and life’s priorities.
The show was posted on Ebuka’s YouTube channel on Friday.
Using a hypothetical scenario, Oreagba challenged the BBNaija host on the value people place on money.
“How much is money to you? Give me a number. Just pick a number. A billion dollars?” he asked.
When Ebuka replied that he was not seeking satisfaction from money, Oreagba continued with another question, saying “If I gave you $10 million now, what would you say?”
Ebuka responded jokingly, “What would I say? I would call you from Miami to thank you.”
Oreagba then asked whether he would still accept the money if it meant having only 24 hours left to live.
“If I told you you can have it, but not live more than 24 hours, what would you do?” he asked.
Ebuka replied, “I mean, I could make $10 million, so it’s not worth it.”
Drawing from the exchange, Oreagba reflected on his own financial journey.
“Right. So then all of a sudden, living actually has a lot of value to it. I was a dollar millionaire at 30. At 35, I was working as a labourer,” he said.
When asked where he worked as a labourer, Oreagba replied, “In England.”
He explained that his fortunes changed after he lost his banking job while pursuing another dream.
“I had a dream, something I wanted to do, and I lost my job as a banker. And to maintain that lifestyle, I was hustling, doing all kinds of things, but nobody saw it. The Porsches were still outside. I had my priorities wrong,” he said.
Oreagba said the experience reshaped his perspective on wealth, stressing that many people place too much value on money and status while neglecting health, relationships and other aspects of life.
“I’m going to be 60 next month, and my lifestyle has not changed. All that has happened is a viral photo brought me to everybody’s attention,” he said.
He added, “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.”
Oreagba rose to wider public attention after his stylish appearance at the 2024 Ojude Oba Festival went viral on social media, earning him the nickname “Mr Steeze.”
Since then, he has become a prominent figure in lifestyle and business conversations.
(Punch)
