Wasiu Alabi Adetola, popularly known as Pasuma, is a Fuji maestro in the Nigerian music industry. The 56-year-old musician is also revered as one of the richest and most influential in his genre of music, and by extension, the Nigerian entertainment industry in general with a net worth of N455 million. Certainly, it must have taken a lot for Pasuma’s net worth to be this much. But what many people don’t know yet is that he is more than a musician; thus, he has other income sources aside from music.
The Bulk of Pasuma’s N455 Million Net Worth Came from Music
Arguably, Pasuma’s net worth of N455 million doesn’t place him as the richest fuji musician in Nigeria. However, he is considered one of the richest and, rightfully so, the second richest fuji musician after his mentor Ayinde Wasiu Marshal who has a net worth of about N800 million.
It is said that a golden fish has no hiding place. The talented musician didn’t limit himself to Fuji music alone. He is also a songwriter who writes not just for himself but also for others. Asides from the music industry, Pasuma is equally present in the movie industry, especially the Yoruba movie industry. Thus, he makes money as an actor in addition to his brand endorsement deals.
Pasuma Started His Music Career at the age of 17
Pasuma, in one of his videos, noted that he was inspired by one of the grandmasters of Fuji music at the time, the legendary Wasiu Ayinde Marshall. His zeal for music was so strong that it pulled him away from secondary school, and he focused his attention on music alone.
Unlike some of his counterparts in the music industry, Pasuma always knew what he wanted to be. Even when his well-educated father offered him the choice of another career path, he decided it was music he wanted to pursue as a career. Wasiu began his music career at the age of 17 in 1984. He was opportune to record his first album in 1993. His debut album titled Recognition was born out of the pure instinct to be recognized by his family, society, and the world at large.
Along with his friends, Pasuma usually performs in hotels in the 1980s and 1990s. It was during that time that Eru Ewa Records offered to record an album for him. He initially turned down the offer but later went for it. That was the birth of his first album named Recognition. After his first album, the second album followed in the next year, and it was aptly titled Choice. The third album, Orobokibo, was released the same year as the second, but it came with a bang. The album fetched him an award at the FMA awards as the Best Fuji Artist.
His Transition from Fuji Music to Hip-hop at Age 30
Pasuma didn’t limit himself to Fuji music alone. He delved into hip-hop music. On his 30th birthday, he dropped an album welcoming himself into the world of hip-hop. He also released another album in 2015 titled My World, which featured lots of hip-pop stars like Olamide, Tiwa Savage, Oritse Femi, Patoranking, and others. The songs in his My World album include Quality, Whyne Me, Ife, O Ti Clear, Our Lagos, Oruka, Abo, Action, Ogede TiPon, Shamajo, Labe ICi, Damiloriru, All Eyes on Me, Am on Fire, Olu=ohum Ojee, and Sope.
Going into hip-hop also took a toll on his dressing. He had to switch from his usual Yoruba attire to denim jackets, baggy jeans, Kangol caps, Hilfiger shirts, dress glasses, etc. Although he remained faithful to his musical roots and Yoruba lifestyle, some people considered his going into hip-hop as being ridiculous. However, he didn’t just make an impact in the lives of other stars; he overtook some of the prominent ones.
Pasuma’s effort was rewarded with success in 2015 when he emerged as the winner of the Best Indigenous Artist of the Year at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards. Ever since he recorded his first album, he hasn’t left the limelight. He has taken his music to the international scene, which has seen him perform in different concerts in Nigeria and beyond.
Pasuma Ventured into Acting in 2012
Pasuma revealed that some movie stars and producers felt he had the acting talent; hence, they harnessed it. That was what prompted his venture into the Yoruba Nollywood movie industry. He has appeared in many films, some of which include “Irawo Meji” (2012), “Ego Mushin” (2020), “Gangs of Lagos” (2021), and others.
Though his acting career looked quite promising at the start, at a point, he wasn’t so regular in the movie industry. The entertainer defended his absence by noting that he was a musician first before he became an actor. Therefore, he devotes more attention to music than to acting.
What are Pasuma’s Other Sources of Income?
Pasuma doesn’t only make money out of showbiz; he is also into other forms of business and has numerous income-yielding investments. Let’s look at some of them below.
Real Estate
Pasuma’s involvement in the real estate business also funds his lifestyle alongside his showbiz business. Aside from his personal homes, he is rumored to own many residential and commercial buildings scattered all over the country.
Brand Endorsement Deals
Also, like some other stars, endorsement deals are part of Pasuma’s income portfolio. He signed an endorsement deal with a sports betting company known as 9japredict. The deal was said to come with a mouth-watering offer that was remarkably in favor of the Fuji artist.
In November 2020, Pasuma, alongside Iyabo Ojo, was unveiled as the newest brand ambassador for Lagos-based real estate firm Pragmatic Homes during the opening of the company’s Omole office in Lagos State. According to the Managing Director of the company, their choice of Pasuma and Iyabo was aimed at encouraging (entertainment) celebrities to invest in properties as their profession does not have a retirement benefit plan.
In 2010, Pasuma had an endorsement deal with Glo alongside other celebrities like Basketmouth, Sammie Okposo, Ego Ogbaro, Ramsey Nouah, Kate Henshaw, and Chioma Chukwuka-Akpota, Sunny Neji, D’Banj, and P-Square. Each celebrity earned a certain amount depending on the terms of the deal, and for Pasuma, his was about N20 million at the time. All these exploits have helped Pasuma achieve a net worth estimated at N455 million.
Summary of Pasuma’s income sources
- Music
- Acting
- Real Estate
- Endorsement Deals
A Look at How Pasuma Spends His Wealth
With the amount of money Pasuma has, he can afford to live luxuriously as much as his net worth can afford him. While he is not necessarily the affluent type, the fuji star has a reputation for frequently changing homes. On the other hand, he has a good taste for cars and owns many of them. Like many celebrities in his class, the musician does not withhold to spend his money on indigent people.
He Built His First Mansion with N60 Million at Omole
As of 2018, reports had it that Pasima owns two houses- one in Omole and another in OPIC, both in Lagos State, Nigeria. It then ceased to be a rumor on the celebration of his 50th birthday when he marked the event by moving into his brand new duplex. The house is located at Babington Ashaye street, Omole Phase 1 in Lagos State. The double celebration (house warming and birthday), which took place on the 27th of November, 2017, was graced by the high and mighty of both the movie and music industry.
Pasuma’s colleagues didn’t fail to show their support and joy as they turned up in large numbers to celebrate him. On the day of the celebration, the star made the details known online on his Instagram page where he, thanked Allah for the grace to see a new year and the success of his project. He further congratulated himself and thanked his fans all over the world.
The house in question is said to be worth over N60 million. It is well-built and sizeable enough for a medium-sized family like that of Pasuma, who is the father of 10 children. On the outside, the mansion, which is built in European style, is colored with neutral paints. It is also decorated with pastel colors, with beige and green being the most pronounced of them all. For light and proper ventilation, the mansion has giant windows. On the inside, the house has 5 giant master’s bedrooms, two well-spaced living rooms, and a modern-day kitchen furnished to the taste of the celebrity musician. For relaxation and fitness, Pasuma didn’t fail to tune it up to the latest standard. He provided himself a jacuzzi and a gym in his mansion.
The construction of the house, like most projects of superstars, attracted side talks and rumors. While the construction of the house was ongoing, a popular Nigerian singer named Saheed Osupa alleged that the house Pasuma was reportedly building doesn’t belong to him. The fuji star, in response, debunked the rumor, stating clearly that although he was born in Munshin, Omole was also his hood, thus his choice of wanting to not only build a house there but also live there.
Pasuma’s Second Mansion at OPIC Cost Him More
It didn’t take too long after the music star became a first-time landlord before the news of his second house hit the internet. The new house was worth more than the first house, which cost about N60 million. On one of his Live performances, the start revealed that he had plans of moving his mum into the new house.
However, success comes with joy and rumors. After the house was completed, neither the Fuji maestro nor his mum moved into the mansion immediately, as there were some noticeable delays before they put the huge property to good use. As expected, this delay made headlines as several blogs and media houses tried to explain what might have caused the delay. Some even inferred that Pasuma isn’t the rightful owner of the house like what was alluded to when building his first mansion.
Be that as it may, the star, however, cleared the air by stating that the reason for his delay wasn’t what people and the media termed it. He specifically mentioned that everything was ready to his taste. However, he admitted that the area wasn’t yet developed, as he puts it. He further noted that he had wanted to wait for the area to be developed before he starts using the property.
His Alleged Mansion at Magodo
Asides from Pasuma’s two known houses in Omole and OPIC, it was rumored that he has another house at Magodo. However, there is no pictorial or video evidence to prove it. Still, even if he decided to own a property there, it would not be too expensive for him to acquire, seeing that a plot of land there costs as little as N15 million compared to Pasuma’s net worth of N455 million.
Pasuma also Spends His Money on Cars
Like most celebrities, Pasuma’s net worth affords him a fleet of cars that are worth fortunes. The Fuji artist also was spotted in his Mercedes G-class G63, which costs between N75 million and N90 million. However, he has many other choice cars in his garage.
Some of Pasuma’s cars and their costs include:
- Range Rover Vogue (N32.2 million),
- Golf Volkswagen (N7.6 million),
- Toyota Highlander (N11.6 million), and
- Rolls Royce Dawn (N146 million).
Also, he was gifted a Toyota Venza in 2016 as a birthday gift by a friend, while he also gifted his daughter, Wasilat, a Toyota Matrix on her 25th birthday.
He Spends Big on Philanthropy
Being one of the richest celebrities in the music industry, Pasuma has not only enjoyed the fruit of his labor but has given a piece of it to others. He is a well-known philanthropist who likes to give back to society. On one occasion of his 51st birthday, he visited his alma mater, Muslim Mission Primary School Munshin, where he commissioned a newly renovated 10 block of classrooms sponsored by Pasuma Fans Club Community. He promised the school that more will come as the renovation was just the tip of the iceberg. Indeed with Pasuma’s net worth already edging close to half a billion, he will fulfill his promise in time.