Late Nigerian banker Herbert Wigwe has been linked to the ownership of 106 properties in London, ranking him seventh among billionaire real-estate holders in the city, according to a report by The Londoner.
The investigation, titled “Revealed: The billionaires who really own London,” uncovered approximately 32,611 properties across the capital owned by overseas entities. This follows a recent legal change in the United Kingdom requiring foreign companies to disclose their beneficial owners.
The findings revealed that these disclosures have exposed previously hidden ownership of prime real estate across key areas of London, including Oxford Street, Canary Wharf, and Greenwich Peninsula.
According to the report, researchers analysed data compiled by Tax Policy Associates, led by Dan Neidle, to trace ownership behind thousands of offshore entities.
Wigwe, who died in a helicopter crash in the United States in February 2024 alongside his wife, son, and former NGX Group chairman Abimbola Ogunbanjo, was the former Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc.
The report also highlighted that many of London’s most valuable properties are held through offshore companies based in jurisdictions like Jersey, where ownership structures were previously less transparent.
Since Wigwe’s passing, his estate has been the subject of legal disputes, adding another layer of attention to his extensive property portfolio.
Overall, the investigation sheds light on the scale of foreign investment in London’s real estate market and reveals ownership structures that were previously hidden from public view.
