His name still probably will not ring a bell among many Nigerians, but in America, in the dizzyingly fast – paced, glitzy world of Hollywood and the bigger fashion scene around the world, he is a superstar. The jeweller and exotic watch maker, artist and designer is friend to the biggest names in American music, film, fashion, entertainment and sports worlds. He is called ‘The Iceman’ on account of his trading in diamonds and other precious stones with which he has bedecked many of his superstar friends.
In a world where the bold, big, flashy, loud and even outrageous are a fashion statement, this Nigerian kid has created a niche for himself in the risky jewellery business and, in the process, made a fortune for himself.
The sixth son from a polygamous family, Aire left the shores of Nigeria in pursuit of the proverbial Golden Fleece at just over 17 years old. Today fate has smiled on him and he has, indeed, hit gold.
WHAT does the Aire in your name mean? Is it Nigerian?
Yes it is Nigerian, a derivative of my Ishan name. The full name, Airemiokhai, is a derivative of two Ishan words, “Aire,” which means “drawing close” and “Okhai,” meaning “greatness.” So it means “drawing close to greatness.” I decided to adopt my middle name and cut of the second half first as a mark of my independence at that time and, since I was going abroad then, to make it easier for people to pronounce.
Were you born Chris Aire?
I was born Christopher Airemiokhai Iluobe.
You were so young and ran such a big company?
I was, but I was able to run the company efficiently. Our head office was on Sapele Road in Benin and we had haulage trucks all over the country. We had about 100 trucks that transported diesel and petrol all over the country.
Not many people know the name Iluobe. Can you tell us a little more about your father?
My father was a very successful businessman. He was into oil and building materials. He had a factory that produced galvanised roofing sheets. He was also into farming, exporting cocoa and palm kernel. He actually gave me my first lessons in business.
So if you were doing so well, why did you decide to go abroad?
My father and I were very close growing up and he challenged me several times. But there was this particular time he did that and I decided that it was time to take him up on the challenge which is why I took the decision to be far away from home and his assistance and to use my middle name as my surname.
What exactly was the challenge?
The challenge was that I couldn’t make it without him and his name. And looking back if I had remained with him then, I believe that I would not have made it without him.
So was America what you expected it to be?
No it wasn’t as I had imagined when I arrived, partly because I went to Memphis in Tennessee.
So how did you survive?
It was hard. I started by flipping burgers to put myself through college. One of the things that were ingrained in me back in Nigeria was the need to be educated. So in America, I struggled to get a bachelor’s degree. That was my first goal.
I met other Nigerians there who told me that the best job a Nigerian could get was to be either a security guard or work in a fast food restaurant. That was how I started working in a fast food restaurant. But I soon decided it was not for me and that I could do better.
So how did you get into the jewelry business?
I always had a love for jewelry and knew that jewelry was also a profitable business and wanted to ultimately invest in it. So I had hoped to create a successful career in the entertainment industry in the USA and invest the money I made into the jewelry business.
How did you start your own company?
I worked for him for six years and I had been able to save $5,000. That amount in starting a jewelry company is absolutely nothing. But what happened in those six years was that I met a lot of high net worth individuals within the jewelry community. The jewelry business is a very small community. We all go to the same shows, hang out together. So, working for him gave me a platform which catapulted me into the game. Unknown to me, people had watched me for six years and got an insight into my character. They knew I could be trusted and that I was a serious-minded person, this made it easier for them to take a chance on me.
So how did you start with $5,000?
The $5,000 was just enough for me to rent a small office space where I was my own secretary, designer, salesman, manufacturer and everything rolled in together. I started in 1996 with that small amount of money but the goodwill I had built was what pushed me over the edge.
What exactly did you have to do?
I did all the designs and since I had befriended so many people in the business, I approached somebody with a manufacturing facility that would help me with the gold and other raw materials to extend me credit terms. I then produced the pieces, put them in my bag and hawked them to the people I thought would buy them. I was given about 30 days to sell and pay off my creditor. I would sell the pieces and repeat the process.
Which was your real break in the business?
The turning point for me was when I met Gary Paton. He used to play for the Seattle Supersonics. That year they were playing the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs. I knew Gary was going to be staying at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Marina Del Rey, so I went early and waited for him to show up. I waited for a few hours and when he finally showed up, I walked up and talked to him in the middle of press frenzy. I will never forget how gracious he was. I had never met him before. I just walked up to him and introduced myself and my business. He put his arms around me and pointed to his body guard and asked me to talk to him and exchange addresses and phone numbers. I stayed in touch with them after the playoffs. In the summer they were in Miami and invited me over to show them the stuff I had and I went over. When I got there he gave me an order for $50,000.
What exactly did you sell to him?
A bunch of gold and diamond basketball pendants. He bought for himself and his friends. It was a big order at the time. The interesting thing is that I had maxed out my credit card making that trip and if he hadn’t bought anything it would have been difficult for me to go back home. But it was worth the risk. Apart from him, I met a number of other people on the trip with whom I later did business.
We read about you and so many Hollywood stars. Who would you say are your biggest customers ever?
I try to respect people’s privacy because most of my clients are private people. So I can only talk about the ones we are allowed to talk about. But our clientele cuts across business, entertainment, sports and so on. When I first started it was mostly entertainers.
How does it feel? Do you ever get carried away being a small boy from Nigeria making it big and hobnobbing with superstars?
Sometimes I still pinch myself because I have been very fortunate. I consider myself lucky. Everything I have done I can only say is by the grace of the Almighty God.
You were away from Nigeria for a long time. What made you come back?
When I left Nigeria the idea was to go and study, better myself and then come back, but the people who came back returned and told us how horrible it was. So coming back home was the last thing on my mind at the time. Also, the pieces I was getting lots of notoriety for in the USA were not your standard run-of-the-mill designs. They were cutting edge and a lot of people did not understand it. They used to say who would wear a clock. I could never have come home at that time with the pieces I was making. When I left, Nigeria was a conservative place. We were used to small flat wrist watches. So I never thought there would be a market for what I was doing in Nigeria. As I got older, I started rethinking because most of the raw materials I use come from the African continent and most Africans are exploited and never really given the opportunity to add value to our raw materials. I decided it would be good to come back and set up something that would start to change that. So I started thinking of coming to set up here and contribute in my own way and share the knowledge I have accumulated in the United States. But I didn’t come to Nigeria right away. I went to Sierra Leone and Guinea Conakry and then gradually started coming to Nigeria. We were then invited by Nduka Obaigbena to participate in the Thisday Arise show. After the show many people showed interest in our products which inspired me to set up the jewelry shop at Transcorp Hilton.
Where and how do you source you raw materials from, particularly diamonds?
From all over the world. Some we get through our diamond network but we deal only in blood -free diamonds. Some of the raw materials like semi – precious stones and precious stones we get in Nigeria. We have investment interest in some mines outside Nigeria and we get some of our gold and others materials from there.
There has been a great outcry against blood diamonds from Sierra Leone and other places. How do you ensure that you do not deal in them?
Blood diamonds are diamonds that fund wars and conflicts. Sierra Leone has been peaceful for quite some time, but there are diamonds in Canada, and there is no war in Canada. There are beautiful diamonds in Australia and there is no war there. Most of the yellow diamonds are from Australia. Some of the best diamonds are from Africa; South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Sierra Leone and many other places.
Apart from jewelry you also went into wrist watches and other products. Can you tell us more about your businesses?
When I started I didn’t have much money so I started with what I felt most comfortable with which was bridals designing bridal rings and accessories and expanded into other areas later. But I felt restricted and I couldn’t express myself much. I wanted to serve a clientele of artists, actors, celebrities and people like that who had a different taste, certainly not conservative. So I started creating these pieces my peers called “crazy designs”. But I always went out and sold them. By the time I had built up a big clientele I realised that they were looking up to me for direction in terms of the design of their jewelry and so I started recommending other brands to them. One day I woke up and said I was going to create something that was mine and present it to them. I created my own brand of watches and put it out and it sold out within two weeks and people were sending me their Rolex watches to trade it in for the Chris Aire brand.
How much was it?
When we first came out with the watch, the Aire Traveller, the basic model was $4,600. Then we had the diamond model that was $6,000 to $7,500. Some were $22,000 each and the most expensive one at the time $50,000. But today we have watches go sell in million dollar range.
Looking at some of the stuff you have done, it takes an utterly crazy person to do them
You call me crazy? (Laughs). Yeah, I get called that sometimes.
Some of the big stars in entertainment and sports you do business with and who wear your jewelry at concerts, in musical videos, how do you relate with them?
Most of my clients are my friends now. When you are in the public eye you become extremely suspicious of people. Most celebrities are guarded. I misread this when I was starting out. I didn’t know it was a protective shield. I thought they were just being jerks because I would walk up to some of them and they would look down on me like I was a thief or something. As a Nigerian, I have an innate sense of pride but I had to swallow that pride because I had to eat. And that is why I say I was lucky. Imagine if the first 100 people I walked up to had told me to go to hell. It would have been a different story today. But with time they saw I was somebody they could trust. In hanging out with celebrities, going to their homes and so on you become privy to a lot of things but you cannot talk about them elsewhere. What they want to know first is can they trust you and do you care about them? The business comes later.
Has being a Nigerian ever worked against you abroad?
My belief is that if you do not feel comfortable or confident in your own skin, everything will work against you no matter where you are from. Yes I am a Nigerian, a black man and I am proud of it. What my story has shown is that a Nigerian can make it anywhere in the world. Nigerians are great people. We are hardworking and immensely blessed by God that is why Nigerians excel wherever they go.
It is a high risk business. And you have been in the US for a long time. Have you ever been scammed? And have you also ever had any problems with the law?
I have been in America for 30 years now. And I have been in a business of trust. But I have never had any run in with the law and I have not had any problem with anybody. You know the jewelry industry is replete with stories about quack jewelers. We have been very fortunate and have not been involved in any controversies, thank God. I would prevaricate if I tell you that I am not aware of the International community’s perception of the Nigerian brand. I know most people think that a lot of use cannot be trusted and there is a strong argument in favor of that. My take on that is that you cannot indict a whole group of people based on the actions of a select few. This is why I always let people know that I am a Nigerian, because even though some people have given us a bad name not every Nigerian is a conman. As far as being scammed, I wouldn’t say I have been scammed in the US but I have lost money in Sierra Leone and Guinea. I have not had any problems in Nigeria.
Having made it outside this shores, there are many young Nigerians who would look up to you as a role model. In what way are you giving back to society, in building up our youths, for example?
I think it is a privilege to be in my position and I do not take the responsibility of giving back lightly. But on a serious note, that is one aspect of my life that I do not make too much noise about. But what I can talk about is I have tried to do is give some of our young ones the kind of opportunity and exposure that I have enjoyed. I was the one who introduced D’banj to Snoop Dogg and orchestrated the collaboration. I have also worked with Duncan Mighty and a host of other guys helping to strengthen the Nigerian entertainment community. And none of it was business. I never got a dime from helping any of them.
You said you had invested in mines in Sierra Leone. Do you have similar investments in Nigeria?
Yes we have some investments in Nigeria as well. We support small scale miners in the country from whom we source some of our raw materials used in some of our products in our Transcorp Hilton Hotel Boutique.
Do you have a factory here?
No not yet. We are working on it but we need to get our electricity and other things sorted out first.
That is a disincentive to investing in Nigeria isn’t it?
I think it is a very important one. I am told that the government is working around the clock to fix it. There are other discouraging factors. I have been extremely encouraged by the support that we have received from majority of Nigerians in our efforts here, but there are a few people who are grounded in negativity that they believe the only way to excel is by bringing others down.
If you are talking about the allegations that trailed your foray into oil business, it was simply alleged that you won a major oil lifting license with a briefcase company which had no address, no staff. And that you got the license because you had a relationship with the oil minister. Why won’t you address that?
The truth is whatever you give attention grows bigger. I did not feel the need to address any of those gutter articles because I did not want to give them credence. But I will say this; you are sitting in my Abuja office today and conducting this interview. Are you sitting in a briefcase? We had this office before the publication of the lies. I am a public figure and therefore entitled to certain precautionary measures as a result of my exposure. Did anybody I do business with tell you they couldn’t find me? Did NNPC tell you that we needed to pay a bill and they didn’t know where to find my company? We are in Africa and specifically Nigeria to do business. We have interest in various parastatals. As a Nigerian, It is my birth right and as a businessman it is my challenge to continue to expand our business interest wherever they may lie just like any other successful business person.
So what is your relationship with the oil minister? How did you meet her and do you have any business relationship?
I am a very good friends with her and her entire family. I am extremely proud of all her accomplishments and how I have seen her represent the country both at home and abroad.
The Honourable Minister approached my company a few years ago, having followed up on our success in America and wanting to increase the awareness of Nigerian’s vast wealth of Solid Minerals to the world. We brainstormed and decided that Hollywood would be the best place to put on such an exhibition. But since the ministry could not afford to finance the event, our company offered to provide fifty per cent of the funding while the other fifty per cent were acquired from sponsorships from four major Nigerian banks. The event was first of its kind by any ministry in Nigeria. It was an amazing success. It was broadcast to over three billion viewers world- wide and massively covered by domestic and international news agencies. This one event has since transformed the perception of Nigeria’s Ministry of Mines and Steel and the type of investment that it is currently attracting. But instead of giving her credit for her vision, dedication and fortitude, some mischief makers decided to bastardise the experience and twist into something that it wasn’t. Ironically, this story can also be pulled up by any one curious enough or remotely interested in the truth. All they needed to do was “Google”
There were also allegations that you front for the minister and that you gave her loads of diamonds in return for an oil lifting license
(Bursts out laughing) It is false. The funny thing is that the event that they wrote about (Hollywood Glamour Collection featuring Nigerian Gold and Gemstones) was a very public event put on for the good of all Nigerians.), it was strictly for publicity. It was broadcast on AIT, Channels and NTA and Thisday, Leadership, The Nation, Punch all wrote about it.
The event where you partnered with her in America?
Yes. It was not a personal partnership with her, but a partnership between our company and the Nigerian government. It was an official event, this is where they said I paid her in diamonds. I think they should applaud her for having the vision to partner with a successful Nigerian abroad to showcase Nigerian’s solid minerals and attract international investment into Nigeria. I thought it was ingenious and that most other parastatals could benefit from similar creative gestures. This kind of mentality discourages creativity, enterprise and investment.
Just for the records, do you have an oil-lifting license? Or what type of oil business do you do?
I am a Nigerian and a businessman and just like every other Nigerian we have various interests and investments in Nigeria and other countries across the relevant parastatals. We compete and bid like every other businessman.
