It is a reality that one cannot have everything. Irrespective of the success one has achieved or the milestone one has covered, there tends to be that thing one admires to do. This life reality doesn’t exclude the billionaires, as Aliko Dangote disclosed the one thing he wants to emulate from his American counterpart, Bill Gates.
Speaking at the 2019 Goalkeepers’ event hosted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in New York on Wednesday, September 24, 2019, the African richest man said he hoped to give out a chunk of his wealth portfolio like Gates.
[READ MORE: Aliko Dangote is the only African among the world’s 100 richest people]
Dangote, who said he had been running the Dangote Group for over 25 years, admitted that he remained impressed by Gates’ philanthropy. He further stressed that he found it amusing that a man like Gate who is from America could show much love to Nigeria and invest in the lives of people he is not related to.
Dangote’s words: “When I started my foundation in 1994, I never realised we had this massive challenge in the health sector. Really, it was mind-boggling when we had this agreement to collaborate with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and that really opened my eyes to realise that there are a lot of challenges in health.
“At that time, I didn’t have the opportunity of meeting Bill, but meeting Bill changed me into a different person. This is somebody that has nothing to do with us in Africa or Nigeria, but he is putting his money and his soul into everything.
“He is very committed to helping humanity and that really surprises me a lot and I realised that he is a simple person and I never knew Bill would be this simple. He is a very soft-spoken guy and kindhearted.
“It is very difficult to find people like Bill in this world. Bill, we are very grateful, and I can assure you that with my association with Bill, my only prayer is that in the next few years, I will try and give my chunk of wealth to charity.”
I like that commitment made by Dangote ,that he will continually give himself to charity. May God continue to bless you and make it very easy for you to do. Infact ,that is the will of God for us as His children.