President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has said he is not concerned about having a son to carry on his family name, insisting that his three daughters have already achieved what he would have expected from a male heir.
Speaking during an interview aired by Arise News on Tuesday, Dangote said having a son was not a priority for him because he believes people should accept what God gives them rather than force circumstances, particularly when it comes to family and succession.
“That is not my priority because God controls everything. You can pray for God to give you a son, but he might be the one to take down the name of the family. Sometimes, when God doesn’t give you something, don’t push,” he said.
Dangote, who has three daughters, Mariya, Halima and Fatima, said he did not believe a son would necessarily have performed better than them.
“I don’t think a son would have done better than the three daughters I have.”
His remarks come against the backdrop of growing attention on the future of his wealth and how his business and philanthropic interests will be managed after his death.
Dangote also confirmed that an agreement had been reached for one-third of his wealth to be transferred to the Dangote Foundation after his death.
The arrangement was earlier disclosed by his daughter, Halima Dangote, a trustee of the foundation, in July.
“It’s a paper that we’ve signed an agreement that in case anything happens, because I won’t live forever, that one-third belongs to Dangote Foundation, and the foundation should pass that money to people,” he said.
Dangote, whose fortune Forbes estimates at $51.3bn, also used the interview to reflect on his journey in business and offer advice to young people seeking to build successful careers.
He urged them to remain focused, work consistently and resist the temptation to pursue too many things at the same time.
“Work hard, be consistent, focused and know what you want to do. You can’t be a jack of all trades; concentrate, you will get there, and don’t be too much in a hurry,” he said.
The businessman said his own career started on a modest scale, recalling that he entered the business world as a distributor rather than an importer.
“I started business only selling four trucks as a distributor and not an importer.”