Gilbert R. Chagoury
| Gilbert R. Chagoury | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1946 (70) Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria |
| Residence | Victoria Island, Lagos |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Education | College des Freres Chretiens |
| Occupation | Businessman Diplomat Philanthropist |
| Net worth | US$4.2 billion (2013) |
| Spouse(s) | Rose-Marie Chagoury |
| Relatives | Ronald Chagoury (brother) |
Gilbert Ramez Chagoury (born 1946) is a Nigerian billionaire businessman, diplomat and philanthropist.
Gilbert Chagoury was born to Lebanese immigrant parents in Lagos, Nigeria. He studied at the College des Freres Chretiens in Lebanon before returning to Nigeria.
In 1971, he co-founded the Chagoury Group with his younger brother Ronald Chagoury, an industrial conglomerate with interests in construction, real estate and property development, flour mills, water bottling and purification, glass manufacturing, insurance, hotels, furniture manufacturing, telecommunications, IT, catering and international financing. Gilbert and Ronald Chagoury founded C & C Construction in the late 1970s, which was the forerunner of Hitech and ITB (these now form the Construction Division of the Chagoury group of Companies).
Through their ownership of the Chagoury Group, Gilbert Chagoury and family have an estimated wealth of $4.2 billion.
He served as an Ambassador and Adviser to governments in Africa and the Americas. He has also served as Ambassador to the Vatican for St. Lucia, economic adviser to President Mathieu Kérékou of Benin, and ambassador to UNESCO.
Chagoury was a close associate of Nigerian dictator, General Sani Abacha, who helped his business interests in the country. After Abacha died in 1998, Chagoury returned an estimated $300 million to the Nigerian government to secure his indemnity from possible criminal charges.
Chagoury has been a supporter of Bill and Hillary Clinton since the 1990s. He has funded their election campaigns and is a major donor to the Clinton Foundation.
In 2010, ABC News reported on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's apology to Chagoury for his detention at Teterboro airport for over four hours because of inclusion on a no-fly list.
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