According to several media reports, Herbert Wigwe, co-founder of Nigeria's largest bank, died along with his family in a helicopter crash in California. As Forbes reported, the accident occurred Friday night near Nipton, California, when a Eurocopter EC 130 helicopter crashed with six people on board. According to GhanaInsider, the banker had amassed a fortune of about $65.2 million, making him one of the richest bankers on the African continent.
No survivors have been found so far.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Traffic Safety Board have opened investigations into the crash. According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office, no survivors have been located.
In addition to Wigwe, the victims also included his wife and son. Abimbola Ogunbanjoa, former chairman of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, also died in the accident. According to the report, the identities of the other two people on board the helicopter are not yet confirmed.
Wigwe's visions: banking empire and university plans
According to Forbes, Wigwe was headed to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas on Sunday. Wigwe was a co-founder of Access Bank. This has been the largest bank in Nigeria since 2018. That same year, Access Bank acquired its competitor, Diamond Bank. Since then, the bank has continued to expand in Africa and beyond. A new banking service in Asia was planned for this year. At the same time, Wigwe was working on another project. He planned to establish his own university in Nigeria, Wigwe University. The official start of the university was scheduled for September.
Get informed, understand, make the right decisionsHere you can get general information about current financial news. Every Friday as a newsletter.
*Fields marked with an * are required