We’re Number 1 Baby!
The Black Book is now Number 1 globally on Netflix. It’s at the top of the charts in Nigeria, the USA, South Korea, and a significant number of European and South American countries. I served as the executive producer of this Nollywood movie, but few people know its financial backstory. The largest backer of the film was an innocuous Investment Club called Vizient Coop, the brainchild of an SEC-licensed asset management company that I co-founded with Kola Oyeneyin. Our investment in The Black Book would become the first private equity movie deal led by an investment club. Now here’s the real story.
The Middle-class are More Powerful Than You Think
The members of our investment club are everyday middle-class professionals. I like to use UKAid’s definition of this group – working individuals who have disposable income to invest.
By coming together as a community, our members participated in a deal they would ordinarily be precluded from as individuals. I am happy to say that even though they invested in their local currency, they exited in USD, overcoming currency risk and enjoying dollar gains.
The mission of our investment club is simple. We are helping middle-class Africans and Diasporans accelerate wealth creation through alternative investments. You see, more than traditional asset classes is needed to help the middle-class to close wealth gaps or attain generational wealth. Here’s why.
Investment Challenges of the Middle-Class
1. The financial odds are typically in favor of large capital. Watch the movie on GameStop – “Dumb Money” – to understand. He who brings the most money to the table often defines the market. Only by coming together can the smaller guys win.
2. Financial literacy is a problem among people of black descent. Without a foundation of knowledge, it’s hard to know where and how to invest, or even the questions to ask a financial advisor.
3. Risk is directly proportional to profit. Many retail investors are risk-averse, and regulators are right to exclude them from risky assets with higher profit margins. The way to overcome this is by becoming a knowledgeable investor or by joining an accredited syndicate.
How Vizient Coop Accelerates Middle-class Wealth
By putting an SEC-licensed fund manager in the middle of our investment club, we dimension each investor’s risk profile and then suggest investments that are appropriate for them. We created our own AI-powered and African-themed investor profiler to do so.
We crashed the cost of professional fund management and legal due diligence, as each club member only pays a fraction of the cost borne by the club as a whole.
Because we are a large syndicate, we have a seat at the global investment table. With our negotiation power, we demand for better terms for our club members.
Alternative Investments for the Win!
The future of African middle-class wealth is alternative investments and not traditional instruments. The data is clear. In our investment group, 45% of our members say they have achieved a financial independence rate of between 25% to 100% in 3 years.
Financial independence is when an investor can meet their basic needs from the return on their investment.
So, if you aren’t already a member of our investment club, you should join Vizient Coop today.
For more, please read Much to be Thankful for
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