Over the years, Chagoury attended Clinton's 60th birthday fundraiser and helped arrange a visit to St. Lucia, where the former president was paid $100,000 for a speech. Discover Africa's Next Growth Phase facebook.com/ronaldchagouryjr This Account is Private The billionaire was then shuttling London, Beirut and Dubai to attend to business issues until he finally settled for Paris as his new base where he was plucked to be part of Macrons France-Nigeria Business Council headed by Nigerian billionaire, Abdulsamad Rabiu. Gilbert Chagoury, a major donor to the Clinton Foundation, was denied entry to the U.S. last year by the State Department. A pioneer on the web since 1996, Africa Intelligence is the leading news site on Africa for professionals. 2018 Chagoury Group. Caline Chagoury - Executive Member Caline continually looks to the advancement of her home, Lagos, Nigeria, through building businesses, establishing spaces for the Arts of Africa to flourish, and empowering artists to reach their full potential. Originally published in Huhuonline, https://huhuonline.com/index.php/home-4/huhuonline-more-news/15009-nigerian-billionaire-indicted-for-us-campaign-finance-violations. He is hoping to regain the influence he enjoyed under Sani Abacha, the country's military junta leader in the 1990s. Manage Settings The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. [], The former governor of Lagos, Bola Tinubu, easily secured the candidacy of the ruling party All Progressives Congress with the support of key figures that will back him in his race for president in February 2023. The Chagoury returned the favour when Tinubus son Seyi had his own wedding. Arsan, a physician who worked as an assistant to Chagoury, admitted helping Chagoury reimburse others for contributions to political candidates. It is not in his principles to act as transporter to anyone.. Ronald returned to Nigeria after his education. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Now Ronald Chagoury's primary focus is finishing Eko Atlantic. He also has a position among the list of Most popular Businessperson. Chagoury wanted only to pass along insights on Lebanese politics, Corallo said, adding that nothing ever came of it and that Chagoury never talked to anyone at the State Department. During the rule of Gen. Sani Abacha, who seized power in Nigeria in 1993, Chagoury prospered, receiving development deals and oil franchises. Dynamic search and list-building capabilities. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); From Desmond Mgboh, Kano A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has fixed March 3rd forthe hearing 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera. An Artist's Homing Beacon to Creativity: Connecting with the Universe is The Ultimate Transcendence. by the website. 312 North Spring Street Once registered, you will be notified by a short message on your computer or mobile phone as soon as a new edition of our publication or an alert is published. Barely one year after its debut as a business-investigation-based -HLSI dogged by $20 million illegal transfer scandal For Ronald, sustainability. Mrs. Moussalli-Nouri holds a first degree in civil engineering and a master's degree each in construction and structural engineering.. She currently serves as CEO of Wazobia TV & Wazobia MAX TV and is a member of the Young Presidents Organisation. Ronald Chagoury Jr: First of all, Eko Atlantic was initially built as a defence against coastal erosion for Victoria Island and parts of Lekki. After a review, Chagoury was refused a visa to enter the US in 2015. Franklin further instructed that the signed letter was to be "delivered to Ronald Chagoury." The draft letter, also obtained by Fox News, was undated and addressed to Chagoury care of his firm South Energyx Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of the larger Chagoury Group that is spearheading the Eko Atlantic real estate venture. Your email address will not be published. A year ago, after his visa application was denied, Chagourys mansion was put on the market, with an asking price of $135 million. LaHood failed to disclose the $50,000 check on two government ethics forms as required because LaHood did not want to be associated with Chagoury. [1], Chagoury's name has appeared in the Panama Papers.[2]. Ribadu would with regrets tell a foreign interviewer how Chagoury slipped through his fingers apparently on a tip-off. He is the Vice Chairman of South Energyx Nigeria Limited, which is part of the Chagoury Group, a multinational business conglomerate based in Lagos, Nigeria. [], In addition to international groups like Glencore, Trafigura, Total and BP, the list of 18 Nigerian firms that won allocations of NNPCs crude - 32,000 bpd or one cargo per month - for 2017/2018 looks like a clever geopolitical share-out [. Wikipedia describes state capture as a type of systemic political corruption in which private interests significantly influence a states decision-making processes to their own advantage. Many businesses in Nigeria have thrived on this principle. Founder of the Chagoury Group, Gilbert Ramez Chagoury was born in Lagos, Nigeria on 8th January 1946. Suite 1200 []. The Clinton Foundation and a spokesman for Bill Clinton did not respond to requests for comment. Chicago Mayor Lightfoot ousted; Vallas, Johnson in runoff, Column: Supreme Court conservatives may want to block student loan forgiveness. The US was pushing for the return of democratic rule in Nigeria; Abacha, meanwhile, was eager to have Nigeria taken off a US list of nations enabling drug trafficking, McHenry said. A cookie is a text file placed on the hard drive of your terminal (computer, smart phone, tablet, etc.) His parents emigrated from Lebanon to Nigeria in the 1940s. At a 2009 Clinton Global Initiative conference, where business and charity leaders pledge to complete projects, the Chagoury Groups Eko Atlantic development nine square kilometers of Lagos coastal land reclaimed by a seawall was singled out for praise. They are also used to create and log into your user account. Biography, Net Worth, Gossips, Salary, News & Much More. These cookies allow us to anonymously collect data about traffic on Africa Intelligence. Lets check, How Rich is Ronald Chagoury in 2019-2020? Chagoury is a prominent example of the nexus between Hillary Clintons State Department and the familys Clinton Foundation, which has come under renewed scrutiny during her presidential run. He walked the labyrinth of Nigerias power corridor through successive military regimes, striking gold under the late military strongman, General Sani Abacha, to whom he was a personal economic advisor. No matter how this group tries to mischaracterize these documents, the fact remains that Hillary Clinton never took action as secretary of State because of donations to the Clinton Foundation, spokesman Josh Schwerin said. But I knew there was a vision for my life that was greater than I could imagine. I consider it a duty to give back.. N177 Billion Scam: Fugitive arms dealer Aboubacar Hima floats new company Prininvest Inc. Based out of Lagos, Nigeria, Ronald Chagoury Jr. is a Representative of the Chagoury Group and Vice Chairman of Eko Atlantic, a division of the Chagoury Group. Growing up steeped in the cultural traditions of two countries, Lebanon and Nigeria, Ronald quickly realised that his adopted country cried out for mechanisms to harness the boundless talents of its peoples. Abacha turned out to be one of the most notorious kleptocrats in memory, stealing billions in public funds, acting Assistant Atty. During a 2013 dedication ceremony in Lagos, just after Hillary Clinton left her post as secretary of State, Bill Clinton lauded the $1 billion Eko Atlantic as an example to the world of how to fight climate change. Very imp. Huma Abedin, a longtime aide and confidante to Clinton and now vice chairwoman of her presidential campaign, suggested Feltman. But with the coming to power of President Muhammadu Buhari, coupled with his mention in the then email scandal involving former United States first lady and Secretary Hillary Clinton, among other issues in the US, Chagoury mellowed for some time before he finally left Nigeria. Clinton's aide, Doug Band, even invited Chagoury to his wedding. LaHood, a former Republican congressman who served in the first term of the Obama administration, agreed to pay a $40,000 fine to resolve a federal criminal probe into a loan he received from Chagoury. He has used some of that money to build political connections. . In 2005 Laurent graduated from the American University of Paris with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and soon went on to work in the finance industry across Europe. As part of his non-prosecution agreement signed in December 2019, LaHood also agreed to cooperate with the governments investigation and repaid the $50,000 to Baaklini. Barely one year after its debut as a business-investigation-based newsroom, BUSINESS LEAKS has been invited by the UK-based financial crime platform Themis to speak INVESTIGATION: How 11 Maritime Surveillance Contracts in Niger Delta were awarded. The Lebanese agreed to pay a $600,000 fine and return $66 million to the Nigerian government. Business Leaks is a publication of the International Center for Development Reporting (ICDR). This Nigerian business-related biographical article is a stub. Satellite Times trains journalists on Shipping Fraud and allied Maritime Investigations. Nuhu Ribadu believed that it was powerful businessmen like Chagoury that forced his removal from the EFCC after Obasanjos exit. Their effort was to try and influence anyone who they thought could influence the U.S. government, McHenry said, adding that the approach was heavy-handed. Benue State-born Achief Thaddeus Atta, Under Labour Party, Defeats 2 Indigenous Lagosians Presidential Election: Hurricane Obi Sweeps South East, South South, Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Cries Foul, Says INEC Is Throwing Nigeria Into Chaos, The Time Is Now To Prepare For China Conflict, U.S. Army Leaders Say, Take Your Grievances To The Courts, Not To The Streets, Buhari Tells Presidential Election Losers As He Congratulates Tinubu, Tinubu Writes Nigerians As President-elect, Says The Era Of Renewed Hope Has Begun. Dizzying accounts of mind-boggling looting, including using trucks to transport foreign currencies out of the vaults of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), were some of the improbable tales that turned out to be true following the sudden death of General Abacha. In the mid-1990s, Chagoury donated nearly $500,000 to a voter-registration drive designed to help Democratic candidates, attended a White House dinner for premium donors, and met with high-ranking . Nigerian businessman Ronald Chagoury is the latest African name to show up in the Panama Papers. Ronald has and continues to incorporate new technologies and systems throughout various companies within The Chagoury Group to ensure the companies remain at their best. His phenomenal influence started during the late Sani Abacha era but it peaked during the Goodluck Jonathan era. Chagoury GroupGilbert Chagoury3Ronald Chagoury1971 Ronald71 20062009Eko Atlantic Real-time trigger alerts. They are also behind the over $6 billion Eko Atlantic project, which is an entirely reclaimed coastal city built also in the upmarket Victoria Island area of Lagos and is reserved exclusively for the high net worth individuals and corporate entities including some embassies. When Chagourys younger brother Ronald got married in 2007, Tinubu flew to Monaco for the wedding. They tried every key on the piano.. I especially thank my friends Gilbert and Ron Chagoury for making it happen, he said. He is abusinessman, diplomat and philanthropist. He received hostilities from the President Olusegun Obasanjo government culminating in a 2004 sting operation by Nuhu Ribadu, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest him and seize his private jet as Chagoury attempted a secret entry into Nigeria a country he had been forced to flee in the wake of Abachas death. His visa troubles stem at least in part from his involvement in the tangled politics of Lebanon. A spokesman for Clintons campaign noted that the State Department has said the process has been managed by career real estate professionals.. He is ranked on the list of 2225 popular Businessperson. During a 2013 dedication ceremony in Lagos, just after Hillary Clinton left her post as secretary of State, Bill Clinton lauded the $1-billion Eko Atlantic as an example to the world of how to fight climate change. Baaklini also agreed to pay a $90,000 fine as part of his agreement and agreed to cooperate with the governments investigation. The Chagoury brothers own the prestigious Eko Hotel & Suites, HITECH Construction Company and ITB Construction Limited. Lebanese billionaire Chagoury banks on presidential candidate Bola Tinubu. Hezbollah is part of the political reality of the country, Andrew Doran told the National Review. U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California, Environmental Crimes and Community Safety, Lebanese-Nigerian Billionaire and Two Associates Resolve Federal Probe into Alleged Violations of Campaign Finance Laws, Former FBI Special Agent Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Accepting Bribes Paid by Attorney Linked to Organized Crime Figure, Former Los Angeles City Politician Jos Huizar Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy and Tax Evasion Charges, Former Top Official in Orange Countys Democratic Party Agrees to Plead Guilty to Attempted Wire Fraud and Admits to Bribery Scheme, Lebanese Nigerian Billionaire and Two Associates Resolve Federal Probe Into Alleged Violations of Campaign Finance Laws. With brother Ronald Chagoury in partnership, the Chagoury industrial and financial empire has grown to encompass a multi-faceted business conglomerate determined to break the myths and perceptions of African developmental limitations. Learn More In the News Together with his brother,Gilbert Chagoury, he has formed a partnership that has helped the Chagoury industrial and financial empire growto encompass a multi-faceted business chain, determined to break the myths and perceptions of African developmental limitations. In the years afterward, Chagourys wealth grew. Ronald Chagoury is 1 of the famous people in our database with the age of 70 years old. He is from Nigeria. In 2010, he was pulled off a private jet in Teterboro, N.J., and questioned for four hours because he was on the Department of Homeland Securitys no-fly list. His business empire has interests in construction, real estate,. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. He said that Chagourys lawyers resolved the issue and that he never asked anyone else for help. During the Krkou era, the Beninese economy was dominated by Lebanese businessmen who controlled the import trade from textiles to second-hand automobiles, grains to toothpaste. Based on the FBI report and other allegations from intelligence and law enforcement sources, the State Department denied the application. Caline Ronald Chagoury is the sole director and shareholder. Gilbert was sent to study at the College des Freres Chretiens in Lebanon and after returning to Nigeria began a promising business career, rising quickly to become Director of Sales for a Nigerian car company. Band declined to comment for this story. Though the Lebanese billionaire went to live far away from Nigeria, he was never really far away from his corporate centre of gravity. Gilbert R. Chagoury is an industrialist, advisor, ambassador and philanthropist who is really just a family man at heart. Contact 4? It was such fear of the unknown that made Gilbert Chagoury pay a little fortune to acquire a diplomatic passport with the attendant immunity from the Caribbean Island of St Lucia which happened to be a notorious tax haven. Christopher G. Chagoury holds a master degree in Business and Tax Law from Universit Panthon-Assas, Paris II and an LL.M. All Rights Reserved. He is a businessman, diplomat and philanthropist. Typically, the person is told of the grounds for refusal, but not the details. Ronald Chagoury. Trumps immigration pivot: Will he be the latest Republican to alienate the base? When he set up his first company in Nigeria during the military era, state capture was the obvious business plan of Lebanese business mogul, Gilbert Ramez Chagoury. Both Fortenberry and Chagoury face up to 15 years imprisonment if convicted. By the time Hillary Clinton became secretary of State, the relationship was strong enough for Bill Clintons closest aide to push for Chagoury to get access to top diplomats, and the agency began exploring a deal, to build a consulate on Chagoury family land in Lagos. The billionaire was said to have made the US his initial new abode immediately he was cleared of any wrongdoing by the FBI over the Clinton email saga while his immediate younger brother, Ronald held forte in Nigeria. Why not drop a review and rating for him. The private jet wasted no time in taking off as soon as it had landed. Chagoury has contributed to charitable projects there, advocated on behalf of the countrys Christians and formed political alliances, including with Michel Aoun, a Lebanese Christian politician who served as army commander and prime minister during the countrys civil war. Chagoury, who denied knowing the funds were stolen, paid a fine of 1 million Swiss francs, (about $600,000), and gave back $65 million to Nigeria; to get his Swiss conviction expunged. Why the USC/L.A. In 2014, Arsan at Chagourys direction wired $30,000 to a third party and indicated on the wire information form that the funds were for a wedding gift, when he knew or should have known that the funds were reimbursement for making a political contribution to a campaign fund for a federal elected official. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Valuable research and technology reports. Times tracking poll differs from other surveys. According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Businessperson Ronald Chagoury's net worth is $1-5 Million at the age of 70 years old. Ronald Chagoury (born 8 January 1949) is a Nigerian businessman, the co-founder (with his billionaire brother Gilbert Chagoury), and CEO of the Chagoury Group. The trail led to bank accounts all over the world; some under Gilbert Chagourys control. His website shows him shaking hands and laughing with Pope Francis. According to the Justice Department, on Oct. 21, Joseph Arsan at Chagoury's direction wired $30,000 to Ayoub, indicating on the wire form that the funds were for a "wedding gift." Check back often as we will continue to update this page with new relationship details. Since the 1990s, Chagoury has also cultivated a friendship with the Clinton family in part by writing large checks, including a contribution of at least $1 million to the Clinton Foundation. A Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire agreed to pay the U.S. government $1.8 million to resolve allegations that he conspired to violate federal election laws in a "straw donor" scheme to route illegal foreign contributions to U.S. presidential and congressional candidates, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. They live in Lagos, Nigeria. How will society and cities evolve over the coming decades? The Chagoury Group of companies is headquartered in West Africa and its portfolio of activities include construction and property development, flour Mills, water bottling and purification, glass manufacturing, insurance, hotels, furniture manufacturing, telecommunications, IT, catering and international financing. Some of the big contracts given to the Chagoury Group in Nigeria include the State Security Headquarters the State Security Headquarters Building in Abuja, Nigeria; heNigerian Defence Academy; Ocean Parade Towers, a luxury residential development onBanana IslandLagos; the National Assembly Complex inAbuja; 800 units staff housing complex for ALSCONs Aluminium Smelter Plant; a housing, school and leisure complex for Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited; a foreshore development project on Osborne Road Ikoyi; a 13-floor residential development project on Victoria Island; 19-floor Intercontinental Hotel onVictoria Island; a new headquarter for Magnum Trust Bank; and the new headquarters and office complex for TOTAL oil company in Port Harcourt. More from Medium. Get a D&B Hoovers Free Trial. Ronald Chagoury. A source told Spotlight that in the run up to the 2015 Presidential elections, Chagoury allegedly splashed out a huge sum of money on PR services in the US for the benefit of the then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan against the person of his rival. Ronald is married to Berthe, daughter of Blanche and Eduard Awad, and they have two children. Ronald Chagoury Jr (@ronaldchagoury) Instagram photos and videos ronaldchagoury Follow 172 posts 17.5K followers 1,045 following Ronald Chagoury Jr Infrastructure Africa City Building @ekoatlantic Shore Protection Green Tech . He owns a seven-bedroom hilltop mansion in Beverly Hills, and he has a high-level network of friends from Washington to Lebanon to the Vatican, where he serves as an ambassador for the tiny island nation of St. Lucia. To that endCalinehas launched multiple businesses including: After completing her studies in France, and in addition to running her own businesses,Calinejoined The Chagoury Group in 2010 to oversee the many upgrades and improvements that have continually been added to The Eko Hotel. Two years after the death of Abacha, a court in Switzerland convicted Chagoury for his involvement in what was globally seen as epic treasury looting and money laundering. For years Chagoury had facilitated oil business deals in Nigeria for the French oil company TotalEnergies. 14 Followers. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. By last summer, U.S. diplomats had selected a 9.9-acre property at Eko Atlantic as the preferred site for a new Lagos consulate, State Department documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times show. Published at Jan 23, 2023 by darshan12 #tutorial. Writing reviews may help others know more about this person. Ronald Chagoury was born in Nigeria on 8 January 1949, the son of Ramez and Alice Chagoury, who had emigrated from Lebanon in the 1940s. and are now billionaires. Other clients are the Federal Ministry of Works; Abia State Government, the Nigerian Breweries; Bayelsa State Government and the Lagos State government. If two unmarried celebrities are seen in public together, they are often described as dating which means they were seen in public together, and it is not clear whether they are merely friends, exploring a more intimate relationship, or are romantically involved. How NNPC intrigues stalled ExxonMobils sales of $1.52 billion assets to Seplat, BUSINESS LEAKS invited to speak at UKs Financial Crime Roundtable, SPECIAL REPORT: Nigerias seaports of oligarchs and monopoly czars, SPECIAL REPORT: Nigerias deep-sea paradox, Botswana at 57: The need to break the barrier of insularity, How Nigerian fraudsters loot European banks (2). The billionaire was said to have made the US his initial new abode, while his younger brother, Ronald held forte in Nigeria. After Abachas death in 1998, the Nigerian government hired lawyers to track down the money. Chagoury, who denied knowing the funds were stolen, paid a fine of 1 million Swiss francs, then about $600,000, and gave back $65 million to Nigeria; a Swiss conviction was expunged, a spokesman for Chagoury said. THE AFTERMATH OF ARRESTING AND CALLING AN ACCOUNTANT TO ACCOUNT., Foreign vessels fly Nigerian flag, corner 10-billion-dollar maritime contracts under false pretexts. In the years afterward, Chagourys wealth grew. Global Upfront Newspapers, published by AB Publications Ltd, is an independent newspaper with a mandate to produce daily up to date news reports, features, opinions and other special publications that will be useful and trusted by the reading public. It has also come under fire for its willingness to accept money from foreign governments with interest in swaying U.S. policy during Clintons time as secretary of State, and the controversial histories of some donors. On arrival, he began toimplement the business principles he had so eagerly taken on board in the United States. A 2013 FBI intelligence report, citing unverified raw information from a source, claimed Chagoury had sent funds to Aoun, who transferred money to Hezbollah. The Chagoury Groups Tin Can Island Grain Receiving Facility and associated Storage Silos is one of the principal gateways for commodities arriving in Nigeria and services wheat deliveries to bothIdeal Flour Millsin Kaduna andNigerian Eagle Flour Millsin Ibadan. In 2009, Band wrote his friends in the department. Gilbert and Ronald Chagoury Hillary and Bill Clinton's ties to two influential Lebanese-Nigerian businessmen are raising fresh questions about whether the State Department showed favoritism to Clinton Foundation donors an issue that has continued to dog the Democratic nominee during the 2016 presidential contest.. Read our free content to get a better idea of our editorial identity, This offer is open to all new subscribers and runs until 17/03/2023, Reputedly Africa's richest man, Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote continues to extend the reach of his "grey gold" realm.