14/09/2025
What's USD 62,000,000 networth in your currency?
The story of dollar millionaire Paul Wanderi Ndung'u
The story first appeared in Fortunes 100.
"I never imagined I would one day be called a billionaire.
In 1991, I was just a young man walking into Uchumi Supermarkets as a junior accounting clerk, trying to make ends meet. My job was simple, my life ordinary, but deep inside I knew numbers spoke to me differently.
I kept my head down, studied balance sheets, and learned the rhythm of business. That quiet season gave me the foundation for everything that came after.
When Kenya liberalized the forex market in 1995, many people hesitated. I didn’t. I applied for a license and opened my first forex bureau. Soon Glory Forex and Taipan Forex were thriving, and I finally tasted real money.
But I didn’t stop there. I saw the mobile phone wave building, so in 2001 I co-founded Mobicom Kenya. The telecom revolution lifted us fast, and as Chairman, I guided the company into a regional player.
The stock market, though, is where my life truly changed. In 2002, I bought one million shares of Kenya Power at one shilling each. A year later, I sold them at six shillings.
That profit gave me courage to go bigger. I borrowed, I bought 16 million shares of Kenya Airways at six shillings, and by 2005 those shares were worth Ksh 120 each. I sold part of the stake and suddenly, my portfolio was worth over Ksh 2 billion. That moment taught me my formula: buy early, buy big, and stay patient.
I repeated it with Car & General, Uchumi, and others. Then in 2014, I took another bold step — investing in SportPesa.
I wasn’t betting on games, I was betting on the business. Owning 17% through Pevans East Africa, I watched it grow into a giant across Africa, sponsoring Premier League clubs and multiplying my wealth once more.
Of course, storms came. Boardroom wars at CMC Motors, disputes at SportPesa — they tested me deeply. But I learned that billionaires are forged in fire, not in comfort. Today, I chair Mobicom and invest across agriculture, hospitality, and healthcare.
From a supermarket clerk to where I am now, my story is not about luck. It is about foresight, discipline, and the courage to move when others stand stil
If you are young and dreaming of wealth, hear me clearly: don’t be afraid to be early, don’t sell too soon, diversify your bets, and stand firm when storms arrive. Wealth rewards patience and boldness — always."
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