Businessman Farooq Oreagba, popularly known as “Mr Steeze,” has opened up about his dramatic financial journey, revealing that he went from being a dollar millionaire at 30 to working as a labourer in England five years later after losing his banking job.
Oreagba made the revelation during an appearance on the MENtality show hosted by media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and co-hosted by singer Banky W, where the conversation focused on wealth, success and life’s priorities.
Recalling his experience, Oreagba said he lost his job as a banker while pursuing another ambition, forcing him to take up manual jobs in England to survive.
“I was a dollar millionaire at 30. At 35, I was working as a labourer,” he said, adding that the job was in England.
He explained that despite his financial struggles at the time, he maintained the appearance of wealth.
“I had a dream, something I wanted to do, and I lost my job as a banker. 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.
During the interview, Oreagba challenged the value many people place on money through a hypothetical conversation with Obi-Uchendu, asking whether he would accept $10 million if it meant having only 24 hours left to live.
After the TV host rejected the scenario, Oreagba said the exchange illustrated that life itself holds greater value than wealth.
Reflecting on his experiences, the businessman said his setbacks changed his perspective on success, noting that many people focus too much on money and social status while neglecting health and other important 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. You may have 99 problems, but the minute you have a health problem, you only have one problem.”
Oreagba gained national attention after his stylish appearance at the 2024 Ojude Oba Festival went viral on social media, earning him the nickname “Mr Steeze” and making him a prominent figure in lifestyle and business conversations.
