Late Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe, wey be former Chief Executive Officer of Access Corporation Plc, don dey link to 106 luxury properties for London. Dis revelation come from exclusive report by The Londoner, wey analyze newly released data on overseas ownership of UK real estate. The report rank Wigwe among top owners of prime London properties, ahead of several influential people and institutions.
The report give detailed overview of London high-value real estate wey overseas investors, corporations, and governments dey hold through offshore companies. Wigwe dey rank 7th for property holdings, wey show the scale of him portfolio. John Corless dey top the list with 246 properties, followed by Sarah Bard with 130 properties, Simon Reuben with 129, Alexander Bard with 122, Rit Thirakomen with 120, and Wolfgang Peter Egger with 120 properties. Wigwe 106-property portfolio put am ahead of powerful entities like the Private Department of the President of the UAE (84 properties), Ashah Joosab (80 properties), and the Washington State Investment Board (51 properties).
The analysis show how private individuals fit gather significant influence for London real estate market, sometimes pass institutional investors. The findings illustrate the growing footprint of global investors for London prime property market, especially through offshore structures wey dey hide ownership details.
Many of London most valuable properties—including luxury apartments, commercial spaces, and high-profile retail units—dey hold via offshore companies registered for Jersey, Guernsey, and the British Virgin Islands. This allow owners to maintain anonymity while dey control high-value real estate across the capital, from Canary Wharf and Greenwich Peninsula to Oxford Street. Historically, these offshore structures make am hard to trace property ownership, though dem remain legal.
The 2022 UK law wey require overseas entities wey own UK real estate to declare beneficial owners don start to expose previously hidden networks. Using data compiled by Dan Neidle of Tax Policy Associates, The Londoner identify 32,611 London properties owned by overseas entities, with Wigwe holdings notable for their scale and value. The report highlight how figures like Wigwe don quietly build substantial control over London property landscape, dey operate largely out of public view.
Late Herbert Wigwe na the Founding Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Plc. Him, along with him wife and son, die on Friday, 9 February 2024, for helicopter accident for United States. The Eurocopter EC 130, wey dey en route from Palm Springs to Boulder City, crash around 10 pm (US California Time). Wigwe and him family reportedly dey head to the Super Bowl for Las Vegas at the time of the accident. Him death mark the loss of one of Nigeria most prominent banking figures.
Wigwe portfolio of 106 luxury London properties reflect the growing presence and influence of international investors for the city high-value real estate market. The report, wey title am: ‘Revealed: The billionaires who really own London’, unveil the secret overseas owners of 32,000 real estate across the city. The publication say dem fit uncover the owners of the assets because “recent change in the law dey force these foreign companies to register their real owners”.
The report say 2,224 of London most expensive and recognisable properties all register by companies located for St Helier, Jersey, a British Island wey don turn to notorious tax haven. The late Wigwe dey rank seventh for the log with 106 properties to him name. Ahead of Wigwe na John Corless, Sarah Bard, Simon Reuben, Alexander Bard, Rit Thirakomen, and Wolfgang Peter Egger.
On February 9, 2024, Wigwe, him wife and son, as well as Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former group chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), die for helicopter crash for California near the Nevada border. All six passengers for board dem pronounce dead for the aftermath of the crash. For the final aviation investigation report of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) wey TheCable see, the NTSB say the probable cause of the crash na the pilot decision to continue the flight under visual flight rules into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
Since Wigwe passing, him family reportedly dey embroil for litigation over him estate. For February 2025, Punch report say Shyngle Wigwe, father of the late banker; and Christian Wigwe, him cousin; file appeal to challenge ruling by the Lagos state high court for the dispute over estate belonging to Wigwe.
The report, wey examine 32,611 properties across the British capital owned by overseas entities, trace foreign-held properties through shell companies and offshore structures. The findings make am possible by UK legal reform wey require overseas entities to declare their beneficial owners. The late Herbert Wigwe, former CEO of Access Bank, don dey link to 106 properties for London, new investigation by The Londoner don reveal.
Wigwe, wey die for helicopter crash for California for February 2024, na one of Africa most prominent banking executives, wey don help transform Access Bank into one of Nigeria largest financial institutions. Him connection to 106 London properties underscore the scale of him presence for one of the world most expensive real estate markets.
Previously, UK company records don link Wigwe to address on The Bishops Avenue for north London, one of the city most exclusive streets. Dem list am for 2012 as director of Carmel Gate Ltd, with correspondence address at Flat 7, Allingham Court, 44 The Bishops Avenue. The new investigation suggest him property interests for London far wider than previously known. Wigwe also serve as director of The Access Bank UK Ltd from 2008 until him death.
Documents from Access Holdings show say him and current Access Bank CEO Roosevelt Ogbonna na the only shareholders when the holding company incorporate for 2021, each hold 4,000,000 ordinary shares. The Londoner note say foreign ownership for London stretch from Oxford Street and Camden Market to luxury residential towers and landmark commercial sites, often hold through companies for Jersey, Guernsey, and the British Virgin Islands. The Londoner emphasize say the report document ownership and no dey allege any wrongdoing. Wigwe presence for the findings highlight him position as Nigerian business leader wey influence reach global markets.
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