Femi Otedola’s maiden book, ‘Making it Big’ has won Gold at the prestigious Axiom Business Books award in the Memoir/Biography category.
Announcing the win on Social media, the billionaire wrote, “Proud to share that my book won Business Book Gold at the 2026 @AxiomAwards
“This is a personal milestone for me and for the exceptional team that helped bring this book to life. To every reader who has supported, thank you. This honour is yours as much as it is mine. Keep MAKING IT BIG” … F.Ote”
About Femi Otedola’s “Making it Big”
‘Making It Big’ by Femi Otedola is a 2025 memoir and business guide that blends personal narrative with entrepreneurial insight, offering a detailed account of how the Nigerian billionaire built, lost, and rebuilt his fortune across multiple industries. The book traces his journey from relatively modest beginnings to achieving billionaire status by his early forties, with particular emphasis on his ventures in oil and gas, power, finance, and real estate. Rather than presenting a simplistic success story, Otedola focuses on the complexities of high-stakes business, including financial setbacks, market volatility, and the importance of strategic decision-making.
A central theme throughout the book is resilience—he underscores that failure is often an inevitable part of business and that the ability to adapt, pivot, and re-enter the market is what ultimately defines long-term success. He also challenges the conventional “hustle” narrative by advocating for calculated risk-taking, strong networks, and timing as more critical drivers of wealth creation than sheer effort alone.
Beyond strategy, the book places significant weight on mindset, arguing that discipline, vision, and confidence are foundational to building and sustaining wealth. Otedola also reflects on leadership and the responsibility that comes with financial success, highlighting philanthropy and legacy as essential components of a meaningful career. While the book has been widely praised for its candid insights and practical lessons, it has also sparked discussion about the role of privilege, access to capital, and elite networks in shaping such success stories. Ultimately, Making It Big serves less as a step-by-step manual and more as a case study in navigating complex business environments at scale, making it particularly valuable for readers interested in understanding how large fortunes are strategically built and managed over time.
