Want to know how to be rich and lose it all? Ask one time city billionaire, Chief Goddy Anabor how he went from rich to broke. For Anabor, then in his 40s, the world was full of gold and diamonds and he splurged on them. It was his money so he went on a binge, cavorting with women, partied in the moon with alcohol, fine food and cars. But like Kanye West said, ‘having money isn’t everything, not having it is.’ Sadly, that is the story of one time, Ikeja Lord, Chief Goddy Anabor. How did the cookies crumble? Could Anabor who went full throttle on his riches, burn it all, ended up crashing and broke?
At the height of his wealth and fame, Anabor lived in the same neighborhood with one of the richest Nigerians ever, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola at the then highbrow Abiola Crescent, off Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos.
Without a trace to the source of his wealth, he was worth billions of naira.
Anabor liked cars, women, booze and his cigar. His parties were usually wild, colorful and theatrical with foreign envoys from Europe and America in attendance. Anabor reasoned that he trusted the wrong people to manage his business and fortune. Everything, he said, has gone, including his posh home in Lagos and his town, Fugar, Edo State. He claimed he was so susceptible that many people including acquaintances took advantage of his generosity and largese.
He believed he went through a horrible bad luck that every single business he invested failed. There was also the issue of his involvement in drug and fraud, but he denied it saying, ”I’ve never been on trial; or jailed for any offence. I don’t have such a record,” he claimed.
Though he has lost nearly all his worldly possessions, the good news from Anabor who lamented how he has been abandoned by those who have gained from his benevolence, is that he believes a second chance exists. He’s confident he will bounce back again, richer, bigger and better. Learn a lesson from the guy that used to be a billionaire and lost it all in this interview with E24-7 MAGAZINE’S EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, BIODUN KUPOLUYI, at a lounge on Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos, penultimate Tuesday midnight. Bet you are currently richer than this one-time billionaire that bestrode the social scene like a colossus and musicians sang his praise to high heavens.
What happened to your fleet of cars because you had a penchant for them?
I had more than 50 cars like Bentley, Rolls Royce and others. I usually bought cars that were newly manufactured. Household enemies are the problems of my life. God has made me to see that the people I trusted don’t even care about me.
You were quite big then; didn’t you invest your money wisely then?
I invested a lot of my money, but because of corruption, mismanagement of the people handling the businesses ran them down. When you have a business, it’s very good to employ people who are reliable and give them some percentage of the investment or profits to get their commitments. That lesson I learnt greatly. I was putting my wife and my family, they ran the business down. My wife, Anthonia was even sharing my money with people on purchases and supplies. My workers were building houses from the money they were making from the companies without letting me know.
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