Founder Who Lost $3.9M Reveals The Hard Truth About Money And Freedom

Yele Bademosi is a founder, investor, and creative thinker at the intersection of culture, capital, and clarity. He’s the Co-creator and CEO of Onboard. He reveals the untold truth behind losing $3.9 million overnight in the FTX collapse and how that moment transformed his relationship with money, purpose, and freedom.

A former medical student turned tech founder and investor, Yele has built some of Africa’s most influential startups, including Bundle (incubated within Binance). But after reaching the height of startup success, everything came crashing down.

In this deeply personal conversation, Yele shares lessons on resilience, rebuilding from zero, and why he believes private credit, not crypto,  is Africa’s biggest untapped opportunity. He also discusses the future of the creator economy, the importance of financial sovereignty, and how Africa’s next billion-dollar companies will be built by creators, not corporations.

He explains:
 - Why he walked away from medicine to pursue freedom
 - How losing everything in FTX changed his definition of wealth

 - The truth about Africa’s credit gap and economic opportunity
 - What “potential capital” really means  and how to find yours
 - Why creators are Africa’s next economic revolution

 Key Themes

• The Future of Credit in Africa

• Surviving the FTX Collapse

• Rebuilding Purpose & Identity

• The Creator Economy as Africa’s Next Wave

• Financial Freedom, Integrity & the Pursuit of Happiness

🔗 Follow Yele

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OnboardGlobal – https://www.linkedin.com/company/onboardbynestcoin/  

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This episode is sponsored by Inverroche Gin, South Africa’s premium craft gin that fuses heritage botanicals with innovation.

Discover more: https://www.inverroche 

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Hosted by

Eche — https://www.linkedin.com/in/eemole/   

Chika — https://www.linkedin.com/in/chikauwazie/   

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00:00 - The Biggest Opportunity in Africa: Private Credit

01:09 - Introduction: What's the Biggest Opportunity in Africa?

03:12 - Why Credit is Africa's Missing Infrastructure

05:06 - South Africa's Credit System vs Rest of Africa

06:28 - Who Was Yele Before Bundle & Nestcoin?

07:55 - Growing Up in Ibadan: Early Entrepreneurial Roots

10:20 - Moving to UK at 14: The Internet Opens New Worlds

12:18 - The Medical School Journey & Father's Blessing

14:12 - "Opting Out" of Medical School

16:55 - Writing the Letter to Mom: Pursuit of Freedom

18:37 - Afropolitan Toast: To African Creativity & Legacy

20:25 - Life Lessons from Parents: Excellence & Integrity

22:24 - Losing Dad: The Impact 15 Years Later

26:04 - Five Types of Wealth: Transforming Priorities

28:05 - Moving to London: Being Closer to Family

30:13 - Financial Sovereignty & Why Crypto Matters

32:38 - Building Digital Infrastructure for Africa

35:02 - The Bundle Story: Right Place, Right Time

38:15 - Leaving Binance to Build Nestcoin

40:22 - Raising the Largest African Crypto Seed Round

44:58 - The FTX Collapse: November 11, 2022

48:51 - Surviving the Crisis: Resilience & Recovery

52:13 - 18 Months of Uncertainty: Getting 95% Back

56:43 - Learning to Forgive Yourself

58:27 - Personal Funds Lost in FTX

01:01:32 - Redefining Wealth: Potential Capital

01:06:34 - Afropolitan's Journey: The Million Dollar Prophecy

01:09:28 - Why Afropolitan Will Succeed: Culture Connectors

01:16:51 - The Creator Economy Thesis: Distribution is Queen

01:19:19 - From BET for Africa to Creator Infrastructure

01:23:29 - The Cost of Creation is Dropping: Distribution Wins

01:27:47 - Leading Through Pivots: Vision Evolution

01:32:09 - African Creators to Watch

01:36:05 - Three Systems Creators Need: Banking, Credit, Management

01:40:06 - Onboard: Freedom to Transact Globally

01:42:26 - Stablecoins: The New Financial Infrastructure

01:46:53 - Rapid Fire: Lagos vs London

01:48:28 - Favorite Nigerian Food: Ofada Rice at Mega Chicken

01:51:51 - Who Should Be on Afropolitan Podcast