Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, better known as Davido, recently shared some fascinating stories about his early days living with his father, Nigerian billionaire businessman Dr. Deji Adeleke.
Davido Opens Up About Growing Up with His Billionaire Dad and His Secret Music Hustle
In a candid chat on the American podcast Bag Fuel Brigade, Davido opened up about life inside his family’s massive 16-bedroom mansion — and how he managed to chase his music dreams under his father’s nose.
According to Davido, while his siblings were away studying in America, he lived alone with his dad. During that time, he secretly built a full-fledged music studio inside the house — something his father had no idea about at the time.
“I was staying with my dad alone in this huge mansion,” Davido recalled. “All my siblings were in the States. I had a full studio in there — recording music, smoking… and my dad didn’t even know.”
However, things eventually reached a boiling point. Davido revealed that because his father initially disapproved of his music ambitions, he decided to leave Nigeria for London, where he could fully focus on building his career.
But running away didn’t exactly sit well with his father.
Davido shared that Dr. Deji Adeleke went all out in trying to track him down, involving top Nigerian security agencies, from the army to immigration officers. He stayed underground in London for about six months, making music and living with a producer friend.
“I stayed away for about half a year. Meanwhile, my dad had the army, immigration — literally every security agency in Nigeria — looking for me,” he said.
The ‘Assurance’ hitmaker’s adventure came to an abrupt end when he returned to Nigeria. He had no plans of going back to his father’s house — he was heading straight to a friend’s place from the airport. But fate had other plans.
“The moment I stepped out of the airport, an army officer came straight up to me and said, ‘You’re coming with me.’” Davido recalled.
While the journey wasn’t easy, Davido’s determination to pursue his passion eventually paid off, leading him to become one of Africa’s biggest and most beloved music stars.
