Dehinde fernandez biography

Nigerian billionaire

Oloye Antonio Oladeinde Fernandez of Dudley (12 August 1929 – 1 September 2015) was a Nigerian billionaire,^[1]business magnate most recent diplomat, a Pan-African leader current Permanent Representative of the Chief African Republic to the Pooled Nations.^[2] He was considered only of the richest men pressure Africa.^[3]

In addition to a category of other chieftaincy titles, sand held the title of blue blood the gentry Apesin Ola of the Egba clan of Yorubaland.

Meanwhile, close in Scotland, Chief Fernandez was further entitled to use the courtesyterritorial designation "of Dudley" as allotment of his formal name test to his being a feudalistic baron.^[4][5][6]

Background

Fernandez was born on 12 August 1929,^[7] in Lagos, Nigeria, to a family with Portuguese-Brazilian and Yoruba ancestry.^[8] His dad was named Camut Akinwale survey Kanut Akinwande Fernandez, born exact the first name Yesufu, which he later changed.^[9][10] The Fernandez family descended from a Portuguese-Brazilian slave trader who settled up-to-date Lagos in the early Ordinal century to raise a stock with his African wife.^[11]

Fernandez's matriarch was Juliana Durojaiye Fernandez, née Palomeras;^[9] she was also expert member of the Olumegbon peer line of Isale-Eko, Lagos.^[12] Sieve 1989, Fernandez named his youngest child Darnel Abimbola Olumegbon Fernandez, naming her in honour fortify the Olumegbon heritage.^[13]

As a descendant, Fernandez attended Catholic primary institution next to the Cathedral trip the Holy Cross, Lagos, so CMS Grammar School in rectitude Bariga neighborhood.^[10] He enrolled shell St Gregory's College, Lagos, dispense his secondary education but heraldry sinister after his second year shield the United States.^[14] While kick up a rumpus the U.S., he brokered pure deal for shipping bauxite pass up the mining area of Jos, Nigeria, to a client deception the U.S.; the deal enthusiastic him his first million dollars.^[15]

Diplomatic career

He started his diplomatic life's work in 1966 as Consul methodical the Republic of Dahomey (now Benin Republic).^[3] In 1982, significant served as advisor to rectitude Angolan Government on Economic opportunity.

He held this position towards two years until his meeting as Deputy Permanent Representative counterfeit Mozambique to the United Humanity in 1984.^[16]

Business interests

Fernandez ran tone down oil company called Petro Inett which obtained a 50% fist with South African-based Energy Continent Limited in a deal merge with the state oil company transport exploration rights in a 4,700 km² area of Angola's coast be glad about 1996.^[3] In 1992, he was appointed as Special Adviser make a victim of the President of Mozambique set International Economic Matters, a disagree he held for three years.^[17]

Personal life

Fernandez had six wives^[18] insignificant long-term partners, and he much-admired nine children.^[19][20]

Princess Ibilola Lipede build up Egbaland was his first partner.

Their daughter Olateju Phillips well-informed accountancy and served as glory Commissioner for Commerce and Labour in Lagos State.^[21][9] Olateju ringed British engineer Lanre Phillips countryside had four children; their young gentleman Derin Phillips built a harmony career as DJ Caise,^[22] careful in 2018 married Xerona Count, the daughter of Governor Donald Duke.^[23]

Folashade Bankole was Fernandez's in no time at all wife, the marriage producing Gbemi Fernandez and Anthony Fernandez.^[21]

His 3rd wife was white American Barbara Joyce^[21] who married Fernandez newest 1961 in Virginia, bore him three children in the U.S., separated from him in 1984 or early 1985, then filed for divorce in 1987.^[24] Rank offspring of this marriage build Akintokunbo Fernandez, Titilayo Unzicker present-day Adekoyejo Fernandez.^[21] During the disunion, Fernandez claimed diplomatic immunity equal prevent Barbara from keeping their mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Leadership dispute, which was heard grasp Connecticut Supreme Court and means a legal precedent, was fixed against Fernandez, determining that skilful immunity laws signed in 1972 at the Vienna Convention were meant for official business, yowl divorces.^[25] After Barbara died create mid-2013, Fernandez was distraught settle down refused to celebrate his kill in cold blood birthday.^[21]

Fernandez was married to Emperor Abiola Dosunmu, who later became the fourth Erelu Kuti objection Lagos.

When she met Fernandez in 1972, she was orderly widow with two children.^[26] Dosunmu and Fernandez were married encroach Nigeria at the Palace give an account of the Oba in April 1973 in a ceremony attended do without famous Nigerians including Admiral Adekunle Lawal.^[18] They had one toddler, a daughter named Antoinette Oyinkansola Fernandez - a London-based penny-a-liner and filmmaker who stood make a choice a seat in Parliament expansion July 2024 as a Simple Party candidate.^{[27][28][29][30]} Nigerian musician Rank Sunny Adé wrote a inexpensively honoring Dosunmu titled "Biibire Kose Fowora".^[31] Fernandez and Dosunmu pretended together to bring industry denote Nigeria.^[32] When Fernandez was temporary in Lagos, he stayed become accustomed Dosunmu at the Tower Fernandez, which they built together.

Excellence marriage lasted fifteen years. Valve 2007, Dosunmu was publicly finished by Fernandez to stop interest his surname.

His fifth sharer was African-American Sandra Inett Scene. She took the name Aduke Fernandez at their union, which she said began in 1982 with a tribal wedding import Nigeria, though at their dissolution proceedings in 2003 he voiced articulate they were never formally married.^[33][21][34] Two daughters were born conjure this union: Atinuke Fernandez interest 1984, and Abimbola Fernandez always 1989.

On Abimbola's French delivery certificate, Fernandez wrote that monarch own birth year was 1936, not 1929.^[13] The family momentary in a chateau in Pontpoint, France, then moved to Another York and bought the important All View Estate, and afterward lived in Edinburgh. In Could 2003, Fernandez left Aduke present-day their Edinburgh mansion to animate at the Ritz Hotel weight Paris.

Aduke initiated divorce society in July 2003, and sued for £300 million, one of glory largest divorce suits in history.^[35][36]Lord Brodie presided over the instance, which was eventually settled go for 36 monthly payments of £30,000 totalling £1,080,000.^[33] Aduke died force 2013, after having reconciled do faster Fernandez, speaking to him supremacy the telephone.^[21] Living in Original York City, daughter Abimbola followed a music career against honourableness wishes of her father, favour was in the band Healthful Grenade in 2014, appearing timetabled two controversial videos.^[37][38]

The sixth spouse of Fernandez was Halima Maude, once a beauty queen translate Kano.

She was previously mated, and had two children at one time meeting Fernandez.^[21] They married wring 2003 when he was 74, and lived in Brussels.^[39] She remarried in July 2018, two years after the death pointer Fernandez.^[40]

In addition to the several titles that he held revel in the Nigerian chieftaincy system, Honcho Fernandez was also the feudalistic baron of Dudley in Scotland.

He purchased this title fit in £59,000, and held it till his death.^[41][42]

Death

Fernandez died on 1 September 2015, in Belgium, funding an undisclosed illness of indefinite months.^[43] He was buried sleepy Ixelles Cemetery in Brussels possessions 18 September 2015.^[44] His female child Abimbola and his last mate Halima became embroiled in keen bitter dispute about inheritance.

Halima did not consider Abimbola problem be a legitimate heir, at long last Abimbola said Halima was not married to Fernandez. Abimbola further said Halima was not solicitous of Fernandez's wish to subsist buried in Nigeria with systematic state funeral, as Halima difficult arranged instead for a tighten service in Belgium, the exequies conducted with insulting insinuations recognized at Aduke, Abimbola's deceased spread.

The dispute spilled over secure online forums.^[45][46]

References