Businessman Farooq Oreagba, also referred to as “Mr. Steeze,” has disclosed that five years after losing his job as a banker, he went from being a dollar millionaire at the age of thirty to working as a laborer in England.
Oreagba revealed the information while appearing on the MENtality show, which is co-hosted by singer Banky W and hosted by media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu. The topic of discussion on the show was materialism, wealth, and priorities in life.
On Friday, the program was uploaded to Ebuka’s YouTube channel.
Oreagba questioned the BBNaija host about the importance of money using a hypothetical situation.
“How much is money to you? Give me a number. Just pick a number. A billion dollars?” he asked.
When Ebuka replied that he was not seeking satisfaction from money, Oreagba continued with another question, saying “If I gave you $10 million now, what would you say?”
Ebuka responded jokingly, “What would I say? I would call you from Miami to thank you.”
“If I told you you can have it, but not live more than 24 hours, what would you do?” he asked.
Ebuka replied, “I mean, I could make $10 million, so it’s not worth it.”
“Right. So then all of a sudden, living actually has a lot of value to it. I was a dollar millionaire at 30. At 35, I was working as a labourer,” he said.
When asked where he worked as a labourer, Oreagba replied, “In England.”
“I had a dream, something I wanted to do, and I lost my job as a banker. And to maintain that lifestyle, I was hustling, doing all kinds of things, but nobody saw it. The Porsches were still outside. I had my priorities wrong,” he said.
Oreagba said the experience reshaped his perspective on wealth, stressing that many people place too much value on money and status while neglecting health, relationships and other aspects of life.
“I’m going to be 60 next month, and my lifestyle has not changed. All that has happened is a viral photo brought me to everybody’s attention,” he said.
He added, “We place value on the wrong things. I’ve said this before, you may have 99 problems, but the minute you have a health problem, you only have one problem.”
Oreagba rose to wider public attention after his stylish appearance at the 2024 Ojude Oba Festival went viral on social media, earning him the nickname “Mr Steeze.”
Life is unpredictable, and circumstances can change in an instant. No matter how high you rise or how stable you seem, setbacks can happen to anyone. It’s a reminder that humility and resilience are essential, because life can bring you back to zero when you least expect it.
