Tony Elumelu Shares Surprising Secret Behind His Success, Explains Why Hard Work Isn't Always Enough

Tony Elumelu Shares Surprising Secret Behind His Success, Explains Why Hard Work Isn't Always Enough

  • Nigerian billionaire Tony Elumelu has surprised many fans online by attributing his business success to mere luck
  • The popular philanthropist shared this unexpected revelation during an engaging chat with Korty EO
  • Social media users shared mixed opinions, as some praised his honesty while others remained doubtful about his claims

Nigerian billionaire businessman and philanthropist Tony Elumelu has revealed that luck played a major role in shaping his success, saying achievement is not always determined by talent, intelligence, or hard work alone.

He made the point during a conversation with Korty EO, reflecting on the mix of factors that influenced his rise in business and leadership.

Tony Elumelu says luck plays a major role in success and explains why hard work alone does not always guarantee achievement
Tony Elumelu reveals why success is not always about talent, intelligence or hard work. Photo: tonyoelumelu
Source: Instagram

Speaking with the host in the video posted on YouTube on June 21, Tony Elumelu explained that success is not always about being the smartest or strongest person in the room.

He emphasised that opportunity and fortunate circumstances often decide who moves forward.

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Elumelu, the chairman of Heirs Holdings, said he sees himself as someone whose career was shaped by favourable opportunities.

He acknowledged that while effort, preparation, and determination were important, luck opened doors that might otherwise have remained closed.

According to Elumelu, his journey shows how success often comes from a mix of hard work and circumstances beyond one’s control.

“At times, you don’t get successful because you are the best in class or because you are the fittest or because you are the most energetic. At times, you need luck. You know, I’m a product of luck.”

Watch the video below:

Fans react to Tony Elumelu's success secret

Legit.ng compiled the reactions of netizens below:

Social media users expressed mixed feelings, with some admiring his transparency while others doubted his claims.

@MeronRapper:

“People underestimate the importance of luck. You can be the hardest worker and have the toughest luck, which can be very terrible emotionally because you know lazy is something you’re not.”

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@WolfOfAllStrtz:

“I always like that he credits luck as part of his success story. I hardly see wealthy people do the same. They will sell you a story of hard work, resilience, and everything else, but no one really acknowledges the role luck plays in their success, except Elumelu.”

@uzomaspeaks:

“He knows what he's doing, he knows this is what Nigerians will like to hear (the "God" things is becoming stale already) -- if you believe anybody got to billionaire status progressively by Luck then you're part of the group he's trying to psych.”

@uposkii:

“Them go talk everything aside weytin really give them that breakthrough”

@checkter21:

“By luck I don’t think he means he didn’t work hard at all. Probably was lucky enough to find a great opportunity early on and then capitalized on it. Luck sounds simple at first but there’s people who do certain things and lay the groundwork that help them meet their “luck””

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Tony Elumelu explains how luck and opportunity helped shape his journey to business success
Tony Elumelu says timing and favourable opportunities contribute to success alongside hard work. Photo: tonyoelumelu
Source: Instagram

Tony Elumelu gains big from Seplat deal

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigerian investor Tony Elumelu made an estimated return of over N680bn in just five months.

This massive profit came solely from acquiring a controlling stake in Seplat Energy Plc through his company, Heirs Energies Limited.

The firm initially bought the shares from French company Maurel & Prom for $496 million before the price surged remarkably.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Kola Ogunkanmi avatar

Kola Ogunkanmi (Entertainment Editor) Kola Ogunkanmi is an entertainment journalist and digital content writer with 5 years of experience in news reporting, content curation, and social media management. He has written entertainment, celebrity, sports, and trending stories for Gistreel.com and was also a freelance contributor to FotNews. Kola currently works at Legit.ng as an Entertainment Editor, covering celebrity gossip, pop culture, and digital trends. He is also a self-published author with experience in fiction and nonfiction writing, and he’s involved in storytelling and transcription as well.