Tunde Onakoya: From Chess Board to Billionaire Ambition

Tunde Onakoya, the inspiring mind behind Chess in Slums Africa, recently made a bold statement that is turning heads across social media and the development world. Known globally for using chess to educate and empower children in some of Nigeria’s poorest communities, Tunde now says he wants more; not just to be known as “the chess guy,” but to become a billionaire and someone with significant power and influence.

In a powerful new interview, Tunde Onakoya—founder of Chess in Slums Africa—made a bold declaration:

“I want to be a billionaire. And I mean that. I’ve always been afraid to say that. I just don’t want to be known as just the chess in slums guy… I want to make a lot of money. And I also want to have a lot of power. And with that power comes new responsibility. And my responsibility and duty will always be to the children.”

Tunde, the driving force behind using chess to uplift children in Lagos slums, is repositioning himself. For him, wealth isn’t vanity—it’s leverage.

This shift in vision is not a departure from his purpose, but a powerful expansion of it. After years of grassroots work, building a legacy that combines education, mentorship, and global recognition, Tunde is now ready to scale his impact. He understands that money and influence—often seen as the preserve of the private sector—are crucial for sustaining and multiplying the kind of change he has already started.

His journey has already been extraordinary. From learning chess in a Lagos barber shop to breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon in Times Square, New York, Tunde has used his personal story to spotlight the power of belief, discipline, and opportunity. With Chess in Slums Africa, he has transformed the lives of hundreds of children, given them hope, and attracted international attention to the potential that lies within the slums of Africa.

Now, his eyes are set on an even greater prize. By aspiring to become a billionaire, Tunde is not seeking wealth for vanity, but for volume, more schools, more programs, more scholarships, more policies influenced, more young lives touched. Power, for him, is not about control but about creating systems that serve those who have been ignored and underserved.

In a world where social impact is often separated from financial ambition, Tunde’s declaration challenges that norm. He is proving that one can be purpose-driven and profit-minded; that impact and income can coexist; and that a dream that starts with a chessboard in a slum can evolve into a legacy that reshapes nations.

Tunde Onakoya is no longer just playing the game. He is rewriting the rules.