Billionaire businessman and philanthropist Tony Elumelu has corrected a woman who addressed him simply as “Tony” during a public gathering, sparking conversations online about respect, culture and changing social norms.
The exchange, captured in a video that circulated widely on social media on Thursday, took place at an unidentified event. The woman stood up to ask Elumelu a question after what appeared to be a presentation by the businessman.
She began by saying, “Good morning Tony…”
Elumelu appeared surprised by the way he was addressed, smiling and seemingly acting as though he had not heard her clearly.
The woman repeated, “I said good morning Tony…,” again emphasising his first name.
Elumelu then interrupted and asked her to address him differently.
“Okay, no, you won’t call me Tony. I am not that kind of… You will call me Mr Elumelu or T.O.E. You won’t call me Tony, or call me chairman. I don’t subscribe to that kind of oyinbo life, okay?” he said.
The woman subsequently corrected herself and properly addressed the businessman before continuing with her question.
Elumelu, 63, is the chairman of Heirs Holdings and United Bank for Africa (UBA), as well as chairman of Transcorp and founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation.
The brief exchange has generated mixed reactions on social media. Some Nigerians described the woman’s initial greeting as disrespectful, particularly within African cultures where age, status and authority often influence how people are addressed.
Others saw the incident as an example of evolving social and professional etiquette, noting that addressing colleagues and business leaders by their first names has become increasingly common in international and corporate environments.
Social Reactions
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
