After his his single “Locked Up,” Akon was determined not to be your run-of-the-mill one-hit wonder.
The artist and producer had some foresight, understanding that the shelf life of an artist in a super-fickled entertainment industry is fleeting. So in the early 2000s the Senegalese-American rapper decided to invest in Africa.
Today, the 46-year-old has his hand in a bevy of investments—notably, his energy company, Akon Lighting Africa; the Akonik Label Group and his forthcoming crypto city—powered by the businessman’s very own cryptocurrency, the Akoin. We call this a light flex.
So, it might be fair to say that Akon is giving T’Challa a run for his money. What do y’all think?
“Africa’s economic potential, I think, is to the roof. I think Africa is not only the future, but it has been the past for everybody,” Akon told The Root.
Watch the artist and entrepreneur breakdown why African-Americans should invest in Africa. See the entire video above.
DISCUSSION
Ok I didn’t watch the video, and I hate watching videos when I click blog articles to read about ‘em. But I agree with whatever Akon said. I just learned [in some grad school business course, probably international business or something] about the “gold rush” that the Chinese have been tapping into; investing in Africa. As the continent improves its infrastructure and becomes less third world than before, opportunities for foreign expansion are becoming more attractive.
Related somewhat, a cousin of mine chose to invest heavily in air conditioning in Dubai... back in the early 90s. Seeing signs that Dubai was growing as a future destination and business hub; they moved there and are now millionaires chillin’ under cool air. Such a simple thing right? They paid attention