5 Things you should know about the Nigerian who bought Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Bugatti for $2.5 million

shakirudeen taiwo

February 1, 2018 1:37 PM

Obi Okeke 'Mr Bugatti' left Nigeria for the United States as a civil war refugee at age 5, and today he is a leading automobile dealer in the country.

Mr Obi Okeke ‘Mr Buggatti’ is not a random Nigerian in the United States of America (USA). He is a man who moved from being a refugee to becoming a major luxury car dealer.

Within a span of two years, Mr Buggatti has made headlines for one reason, buying and selling exotic cars to celebrities in the US.

His latest deal is the purchase of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Bugatti Veyron for $2.5 million (N756 million).

With a celebrity clientele that includes Floyd Mayweather Jnr, Mr Buggatti’s dealership is one of the most exclusive.

Okeke says about his huge celebrity client list: “When I came here, people knew about me. I’ve been very fortunate to build a deep client database for finding cars.”

Here is what you should know .

1. Obi Okeke was born to a Nigerian father from the Eastern part of the country and an American mother. He was born in Nigeria and spent the first five years of his life in the country. During the civil war between 1967 and 1970, his was taken to America.

Also Read: A Nigerian just purchased Schwarzenegger's Bugatti Veyron for $2.5m

2. He returned to Nigeria after the war and travelled to Switzerland for his high school education. It was during his time in Switzerland that he developed a love for exotic cars.

3. At age 21, Obi Okeke sold his first car. He purchased a BMW 323i Alpina and sold it for a profit of nearly four times its buying price.

"Once I found out I was good at what I was doing, I really just wanted to get to the top. I didn't know how to, but I just kept trying and trying," Okeke said.

4. He worked for many years as a salesman in many automobile companies in the US. These companies include Chevy, Dodge, Volkswagen, Lexus, BMW, Mercedes and ended his career with Ferrari-Maserati as general manager in 2012.

5. In the same year, He co-founded Fusion Luxury Motors in North Los Angeles with a man named Yoel Wazana. His Fusion Luxury Motors has cars with price ranges from $49,000 to $3.8 million.

"Celebrities may buy a Range Rover or Aston Martin or something, but that doesn't mean they care about cars or want to collect. My buyers are people who have a true passion."

His car shop is a destination for many celebrities in the US.

shakirudeen taiwo