Linda Ikeji is a household name in Nigeria. Ms. Ikeji is today one of the richest and most popular online entrepreneurs on the whole African continent.

Her rise to fame and wealth through a medium that was not very well known and also not respected in Nigeria puzzles many. However, those who have had a close relationship with her, and were quite conversant about the online/blogging business, knew it had great potential to take her and any other person who dared to delve into it to a greater place.

Linda Ikeji’s life is indeed an inspiration to the youth of Africa, especially young ladies, who struggle to make it in life in a somewhat male-dominated society. Below is a look at how she made it from her humble beginnings.

Linda Ikeji Biography

Linda Ikeji was born Linda Ifeoma Ikeji on September 19, 1980. She is the second of seven children from her parents who hail from Nkwerre, a local government area in the southeastern state of Imo, Nigeria.

Like many other families from the region, Linda was raised in a Christian Catholic home that went through its fair share of financial instability. At the young age of ten, she had already begun writing short fictional stories as a hobby. Added to her knack for storytelling, she loved to report on the news and was fascinated by interviews. This prompted her to pursue a degree in mass communication at the University of Lagos. But unfortunately for her, she was admitted to stud the English Language.

She began university at the age of 19, and due to her family’s struggles, had to support herself financially. She worked different jobs as a waitress, usher at occasions, bar-tending, and as a model. You can tell of her diligence and self-confidence, poise and great presentation skills, high sense of dressing and most importantly, her beauty, she excelled as a model. However, modeling was not well paying at that time in Nigeria, Linda saw it as a kind of job she could do to feed and help herself through school rather than engaging in jobs that will “take her dignity”.

Upon the completion of her university education, Linda set up her own modeling agency, called Black dove Communications, a name coined and inspired by Silverbird. The business was not as profitable as she had hoped, so when she turned to blogging, she paid all her attention to it and made the most out of it.

Today, Linda is a self-made multi-millionaire who made her money without any form of corruption, dishonesty or deception as it’s common with a number of ladies nowadays.

Success Journey (Blog, Social Network)

As we already know, not all success stories are smooth, and Linda’s is not an exception. Her “sudden rise into fame” as some would see it was never sudden, her journey was full of difficulties, financial instability and of course as a beautiful young girl, distractions. But it’s amazing how she struggled through with determination and focus.

She started blogging in November 2006, a time when internet access was least pronounced in Nigeria and also a time when only a few people blogged about their personal lives and their families. One could tell of her little beginnings as she is not tired of telling her story of how she used to borrow money to go to cybercafes to blog. That kicked off the beginning of Linda Ikeji Blog.

Since its inception, first in 2006 and fully in 2007, Linda Ikeji blog has become a well-known blog all around Africa. Starting first as a gossip blog which was then the first of its kind in Nigeria, “LIB” as it is famously called, has grown to become the centerpiece of entertainment, covering news and events happening in and around Africa and even beyond. It also covers lifestyle and fashion stories.

Following the success of her blog, Linda Ikeji launched a social network named Linda Ikeji Social. She said the idea came to her when she met fans who told her that they only visited two sites; LIB and Facebook. That prompted her to create something that incorporated what both sites offer. The networking platform uses the domain name LindaIkejiSocial.com.

On the first day of its launch, over 50,000 people had signed up. Her strategy for the site was very attractive as she promised to pay users a percentage based on the number of their followers and the adverts placed on their page. She also said she would be buying the user’s content/stories depending on its originality.

Linda Ikeji Net Worth (House, Cars)

Through blogging, Linda has gathered for herself lots of wealth with her site said to be worth 7 figures. Linda Ikeji’s net worth is estimated to be around N3.2 billion.

With that amount of money, you don’t expect her not to live lavish. She has spent over N50 million on cars for herself and other family members. That adds to her garage which already boasted of a 2008 Toyota Camry, and an Infinity FX 35 SUV.

She also acquired two new houses, a 5-bedroom duplex for her parents in Surulere, and a seven-bedroom mansion on the Island for herself valued upwards of N300 million.

Controversies

Linda Ikeji has clashed severally with people who feel she goes too far in prying into their personal lives. These people include top Nigerian celebrities like Wizkid, Olamide, Yvonne Nelson, and many more. One particular incident that stood out was when she was accused of stealing content which led to the removal of her blog by Google in 2014.

After sorting out the issue, Linda came back stronger and even expanded her business. She recruited journalists whose jobs will be to bring her more exclusive content for her Blog.

Philanthropy/Achievements

Linda Ikeji engages in a lot of philanthropic activities. She most notably takes joy from supporting young girls between the ages of 18 and 26 who have great business ideas and are willing to venture into entrepreneurship. Through her project themed; “I’d rather be self-made, No, thanks” Linda given out a total sum of N10,000,000 to different girls to start up their projects.

Family and Baby Daddy

Linda has five sisters and a brother. They are Vera, Sandra, Laura, Peks, Benita, and Edna.

Who is Linda Ikeji’s baby daddy?

The father of Linda Ikeji’s baby turned out to be Sholaye Jeremi, who is a businessman and socialite. He is known to be a very influential man in the business world of Nigeria.