{
  "id": 9567601,
  "title": "How Nigeria’s LNG project led Billionaire Bayo Ogunlesi from Law to Banking",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/how-nigerias-lng-project-led-billionaire-bayo-ogunlesi-from-law-to",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-24T14:10:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Nairametrics",
    "slug": "nairametrics",
    "url": "https://nairametrics.com/2026/09/24/how-nigerias-lng-project-led-billionaire-bayo-ogunlesi-from-law-to-banking/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nigerian investment banker Bayo Ogunlesi left his legal career at Cravath, Swaine & Moore to pursue a 23-year investment banking career following an unexpected assignment related to Nigeria. Ogunlesi, founder of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), explained his career shift during a virtual EnterpriseNGR meeting with AIG Imoukhuede. Initially studying law at Cravath, Ogunlesi later decided to obtain an MBA to better understand corporate executives and clients. He joked that a competitive edge in business school might allow him to outshine potential future clients. Ogunlesi's transition into banking was attributed to a call from former Oxford classmate Hakeem Belo-Osagie. While lawyers would return to their offices post-meetings to draft documents, bankers like Ogunlesi would continue client engagements, including taking them out to dinner. This contrasting lifestyle led him to join Credit Suisse First Boston, where he ultimately remained for two decades. In 2025, Ogunlesi joined the OpenAI Board of Directors, leveraging his expertise in corporate finance, infrastructure investment, and global markets. GIP, under Ogunlesi's leadership, managed a $100 billion asset portfolio, with companies generating a combined annual revenue of $80 billion. The group's investments included notable assets such as Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, Port of Brisbane, Port of Melbourne, Sydney Airport, and Ruby Pipeline in the United States. Ogunlesi has maintained a keen interest in Nigeria, particularly in infrastructure and sectors like aviation and energy, noting GIP's acquisition of Gatwick Airport in the UK as a testament to his continued focus on aviation.",
  "summary": "Nigerian-born investment banker and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) founder Bayo Ogunlesi has explained how an unexpected assignment linked to Nigeria led him to leave a legal career at Cravath, Swaine & Moore for investment banking. The post How Nigeria’s LNG project led Billionaire Bayo Ogunlesi from Law to Banking appeared first on Nairametrics .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}