Adebayo Ogunlesi – the man who bought Britain's Gatwick Airport. Adebayo Ogunlesi, a Nigerian-born investment banker made international headlines when he led the acquisition of London's Gatwick Airport from the British Airports Authority in a recorded £1.51 billion (US$ 2.39 billion) deal.

The Nigerian man often cited as a major owner of UK aviation infrastructure is Adebayo "Bayo" Ogunlesi. He is the Chairman and Managing Partner of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), an investment fund that has owned or held significant stakes in several major UK airports. Most famously, GIP acquired London Gatwick Airport in 2009 and Edinburgh Airport in 2012, though they sold a majority stake in Gatwick to Vinci Airports in 2019 while retaining a significant management and ownership interest. Ogunlesi, a highly successful lawyer and investment banker, is a grounded figure in global finance and was even appointed to a White House advisory council in the U.S. While many viral posts suggest he "owns" the airports personally, it is a supportive correction to note that he leads the firm that manages these multi-billion dollar assets on behalf of investors. His leadership has seen major modernization projects at these airports, making him one of the most influential African-born figures in the international transportation and infrastructure sector.