Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and a staunch Arsenal fan, recently reflected on his missed opportunity to purchase the English football club.
In an interview, Dangote expressed regret for not acquiring Arsenal when it was valued at $2 billion. At the time, Arsenal wasn’t performing well, and Dangote had a clear interest in becoming a majority shareholder.
However, his focus shifted toward completing his massive $20 billion Dangote Refinery project, which ultimately took precedence over buying the club.
Dangote acknowledged that, had he chosen to pursue the Arsenal deal, he might not have completed the refinery, a project many deemed impossible at the time.
While he still supports Arsenal passionately and remains one of its biggest fans, the club’s value has now surged to $4 billion, making it financially impractical for him to consider purchasing it today. Dangote emphasized that he doesn’t have the liquidity required to make such a large investment solely for promotional purposes.
Despite his regret, Dangote remains devoted to Arsenal, watching their games regularly and continuing his support from the sidelines. He sees the decision to focus on his refinery as a necessary trade-off, though the missed opportunity still lingers in his mind.
