Adebayo Ogunlesi Biography (2025): Real Name, Age, Origin, Career, Family & Net Worth
Adebayo Ogunlesi is a widely known Nigerian lawyer, businessman, and investor who is widely influential in international finance and infrastructure. He has built an incredible reputation as one of the most successful Africans shaping global business and investment.
Profile Details
| Profile | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Adebayo “Bayo” O. Ogunlesi |
| Date of Birth | December 20, 1953 |
| Age (2025) | 71 years old |
| Place of Birth / Origin | Makun, Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria ( |
| Ethnic Group | Yoruba |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Education | King’s College, Lagos; Oxford University (First Class); Harvard Law School (JD); Harvard Business School (MBA) |
| Profession | Lawyer, Investment Banker, Entrepreneur |
| Known For | Co-founder & Chairman of Global Infrastructure Partners |
| Spouse | Dr. Amelia Quist-Ogunlesi |
| Children | Two (Geoffrey & Carl) |
| Net Worth | Approx. US$2.3 – 2.5 billion |
Early Life and Background
Adebao Ogunlesi was born on the 20th of December in 1953 in Makun, Sagamu, in Ogun State. He grew up in an academic family- his father, Theophilus O Ogunlesi, was the first Nigerian professor of medicine at the University of Ibadan.
Adebayo attended the prestigious King’s College in Lagos. He won a place at the prestigious University of Oxford, where he graduated with a First Class in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He later earned a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Career
Ogunlesi began his professional career by serving as a law clerk to Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall of the U.S. Supreme Court, a very rare feat for non-Americans. Afterwards, he served as a lawyer at the prominent New York law firm Cravath, Swaine and Moore before transitioning to investment banking.
He joined First Boston in 1983, where his amazing talent elevated him to prominent senior roles in the company. Ogunlesi co-founded Global Infrastructure Partners in 2006, a firm focused on managing high-level infrastructure assets across various sectors, such as London City Airport, Edinburgh Airport, among others.
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, agreed a deal to buy GIP in a deal valued at over $12.5 billion, cementing Ogunlesi’s status as a billionaire.
Personal Life and Legacy
Ogunlesi married Dr Amelia Quist-Ogunlesi in 1985. The couple has two children: Geoffrey, a music executive, and Carl, a music producer.
Adebayo Ogunlesi is a prominent figure in the world of global finance. He has served on the boards of major firms such as BlackRock, OpenAI, and Kosmos Energy, among others. Despite his world-famous status and impactful presence, he prefers to keep a low profile.
Adebayo Ogunlesi’s journey from achieving academic excellence to becoming a renowned billionaire and global businessman is an inspiration to many young businessmen and scholars just starting to make a name for themselves in the world.
