Gilbert Chagoury

Gilbert Ramez Chagoury
Born	1946 Lagos, Nigeria
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, diplomat, philanthropist
Years active	1971–present
Known for	Co-founder of the Chagoury Group; Ambassador to the Vatican for St. Lucia; major philanthropist

Gilbert Ramez Chagoury (born 1946) is a Nigerian billionaire entrepreneur, diplomat, and philanthropist.

Early life

Born in Lagos, Nigeria to Lebanese immigrant parents, Gilbert Chagoury is of Lebanese Nigerian descent. He completed his education at the Collège des Frères Chrétiens in Lebanon before moving back to Nigeria.

Business

Together with his brother Ronald Chagoury, he established the Chagoury Group in 1971. This diversified industrial conglomerate operates across sectors such as construction, real estate, flour milling, water bottling, glass production, insurance, hospitality, furniture manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology, catering services, and international finance. In the late 1970s, Gilbert and Ronald also launched C & C Construction, which later developed into Hitech and ITB—both now integral parts of the Chagoury Group's Construction Division.

In 2024, the $11 billion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway contract was awarded to Hitech by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. The agreement attracted attention due to the absence of a public tender process and existing connections between Tinubu and Chagoury. It was reported that Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, holds a board position in one of Chagoury’s firms and co-owns a British Virgin Islands company with Gilbert’s son, Ronald Chagoury Jr.

The family's combined assets are estimated at approximately $4.2 billion.

Diplomacy and politics

Chagoury has held various diplomatic roles and advisory positions for governments across Africa and the Americas. His appointments include serving as Ambassador to the Vatican representing St. Lucia, acting as an economic advisor to Benin’s President Mathieu Kérékou, and holding an ambassadorial role at UNESCO.

He maintained a close relationship with Nigeria’s former military ruler General Sani Abacha, who facilitated support for his business ventures. Following Abacha’s death in 1998, Chagoury repaid around $300 million to the Nigerian government to obtain protection against possible legal prosecution.

Chagoury is recognized as a significant contributor to the Clinton Foundation.

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued an apology after detaining him for over four hours at Teterboro Airport due to his placement on a no-fly list.

In 2018, federal authorities closed an investigation involving Chagoury and two associates concerning alleged unlawful campaign donations to U.S. presidential and congressional candidates. Among those implicated was Nebraska congressman Jeff Fortenberry, who was subsequently convicted for providing false statements related to these contributions and resigned effective March 31, 2022.

Philanthropy

Chagoury is a prominent supporter of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis and has funded healthcare and infrastructure projects in Miziara, Northern Lebanon—his ancestral hometown. He serves on the board of the Lebanese American University, where he has donated $10 million toward establishing the Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine and $3.5 million for the Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing.

The Louvre features the Gilbert et Rose Marie Chagoury Gallery named in their honor, showcasing a permanent collection that includes French artworks they have gifted. Additionally, he has provided over $340,000 for restoring the Church of Our Lady of Lebanon in Paris and contributed $10,000 to the Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden.

Personal life

Since 1969, he has been married to Rose Marie Chamchoum, and together they have raised four children.

External links

• Official website of Gilbert Chagoury