Simon Guobadia is the perfect example of the American dream.
He is a Nigerian-American entrepreneur, a highly successful businessman, and a film producer. He is best known for his appearances on Real Housewives of Atlanta, appearing with his wife, as well as his production of films like “Son of the South” and “Jail House Dogs”.
However, his primary source of wealth is his role as founder and CEO of SIMCOL.
As of 2024, Simon Guobadia’s net worth is estimated at over $40 million.
The story behind Guobadia’s net worth is nothing short of impressive. To learn how we made his millions, keep reading this high-level breakdown.
How Much is Simon Guobadia Worth in 2024?
- Simon Guobadia is a self-made multimillionaire, primarily through his petroleum business, SIMCOL.
- He has a diverse investment portfolio including restaurants, real estate, and film production.
- He values philanthropy, supporting various educational and community causes.
- His net worth is around $40 million.
Simon Guobadia’s Net Worth Breakdown:
Simon Guobadia is nothing if not a very transparent person, as we can see on his social media channels.
However, unlike his personal life, his business earnings are mainly undisclosed, so we don’t know exactly how much he earned in salary, business stake, and movie productions.
Here is what we could gather from a range of sources.
Assets and Income | Contribution to Net Worth |
SIMCOL Petroleum’s annual revenue | $7+ million |
Bottle Bar investment | -$3.8 million |
Restaurant businesses income | N/A |
Executive producer income | $100,000+ per movie |
Real estate | $10+ million |
Car collection | $2+ million |
Total Net Worth | $40 million |
5 Fun Facts about Guobadia
- Guobadia is originally from Nigeria and moved to the U.S. at age 18.
- He is the CEO of SIMCOL Petroleum, which is his primary source of wealth.
- Simon has produced several films, including Son of the South.
- He has a luxury car collection worth over $2 million.
- Despite his wealth, Simon has faced financial challenges, including legal disputes related to past business ventures.
Latest News & Updates
Simon Guobadia has been in the spotlight due to his divorce proceedings with Porsha Williams, filed in early 2024.
The contentious split includes disputes over their marital home in Georgia, where Williams temporarily secured exclusive access, with Guobadia ordered to continue paying the mortgage and household expenses.
Additionally, Guobadia faces a lawsuit from NetJets for failing to make payments on a private jet lease, owing over $800,000. This adds to other legal and immigration challenges he’s dealing with, including accusations of past criminal activity and overstaying his visa.
Controversies
Apart from the ongoing divorce battle, Guobadia has faced public backlash over social media posts perceived as targeting his estranged wife. He has also been linked to immigration disputes and allegations of fraud dating back to the 1980s, further complicating his public image.
Simon Guobadia’s Early Life
Simon Iyore Guobadia was born on June 2, 1964, in Nigeria in an upper-middle class family.
He is one of eight children born to Stanley and Martina Guobadia. His father had a distinguished career in the Nigerian Prison Services where he worked as the Assistant Director of Prisons, while his mother was an English school teacher.
Simon Guobadia completed his primary and secondary education in Nigeria, followed by his time at Loyola College, Oyo State, and Government College Ughelli, Delta State.
Even though he enrolled in college, he eventually dropped out of both schools before he moved to the United States in 1982.
Since he didn’t complete his college education in Nigeria, a year after moving to the US, Simon Iyore Guobadia enrolled in the University of District Columbia to study accounting, where he obtained his degree in 1993.
Many people know Guobadia from his marriage to Falynn Guobadia, the reality TV show from Real Housewives of Atlanta. The couple married in July 2019. This was not Guobadia’s first marriage, and he already had five children from previous marriages.
However, the couple divorced in 2021, after which Simon married Porsha Williams, his wife today.
Simon posted on his social media:
After a year and a half together, Falynn and I have made the mutual decision to end our marriage. Despite our willingness to be transparent, we respectfully ask for privacy at this time. Thank you
Simon Guobadia Net Worth: From Entrepreneurial Ventures to Film Production Success
As soon as he got his degree from the University of District Columbia, Guobadia had a profitable stint as a public accountant. He would proceed to work as a financial expert at several companies before he joined the film industry and pursued his entrepreneurial ambitions.
Let’s go through the journey of the multimillionaire to see how he made those millions in his net worth.
Simon Guobadia as a Financial Expert
After graduation, Simon Guobadia started working at Deloitte, an Atlanta-based company as their tax manager. He remained in this position between 2004 and 2006. While at Deloitte, he gained a lot of experience and honed his skills in finance so two years later, he decided to quit the position and leap forward in a different direction – becoming a business owner.
In 2007, he founded his first business called Simon & Company (later to be renamed to SIMCOL Petroleum Limited Company, LLC). He was and remains the chief executive officer of SIMCOL Petroleum Limited company, and has expanded the brand to include various ventures.
The Atlanta-based SIMCOL brand grew steadily over the years and became known as a trusted global petroleum and logistics business. The yearly revenue is over $7 million as of 2023. Today, Simon Guobadia’s holdings include businesses in manufacturing, oil and gas, renewable energy, and commodities trading. Over the years, he also had investments in local businesses such as:
- The Republic
- DAS BBQ II barbeque restaurant
- American Cut Steakhouse
He’s also invested with Twelve Music and Publishing, Simon Paige Productions, and KES Entertainment Group in the past.
Besides his business ventures, Simon Guobadia also worked at KLC Petroleum Transport LLC as their CEO.
Simon Guobadia in the Entertainment Industry
Not long after his move to the United States, Simon Guobadia demonstrated an excellent skillset and a knack for business. In addition to his work in the business world, he also dabbled in the entertainment sector as a film producer.
He made waves in the movie industry thanks to his successful productions including:
- “Jail Dogs”, a short documentary released in 2012
- “Ken Ford Live from the Buckhead Theatre”, a TV special with Ken Ford from 2013
- “Kill”, a drama mystery thriller released in 2019
- “Son of the South”, a biography drama released in 2020
In addition to being an executive producer, Simon Guobadia appeared in a reality TV show with Porsha Williams. After the big announcement of the marriage with Porsha Williams on Instagram, the couple starred together in The Real Housewives of Atlanta: Porsha’s Family Matters.
Philanthropy
Over the years, Simon Guobadia has proven himself to be not only a successful entrepreneur but also a big philanthropist. His philanthropic endeavors spread across different causes and he supports many charities through his Simon Guobadia Foundation.
For instance, Simon Guobadia is a donor to Northpoint Ministries, a group of churches in the Metro Atlanta area, and has contributed significantly to educational institutions and scholarship programs.
In February 2023, Simon and his wife Porsha Williams attended the Pink Awards where Porsha was a presenter in support of breast cancer survivors.
Other Investments of Simon Guobadia
In addition to his business in the petroleum industry, which accounts for most of Simon Guobadia’s net worth, he has also invested in other business ventures including his successful restaurants. He’s also had millions invested in real estate over the years. Let’s see what else makes his net worth of $40 million today.
Restaurants
Some of the most lucrative projects of Simon Guobadia over the years are in the restaurant industry, even though he no longer owns them.
The first venture in the industry was Buckhead Bottle Bar, a business in which Simon Guobadia invested over $3.8 million. The bar was affiliated with SIMCOL Restaurant Concepts and eventually faced financial challenges, which led to its closure in 2014, accompanied by bankruptcy proceedings.
In 2017, Simon Guobadia opened his signature dining restaurant called Simon’s Restaurant. The restaurant became a rapid success thanks to its tasty cuisine and excellent service. However, it operated during challenging times, and the COVID-19 pandemic led to its closure in May 2020.
Real Estate
As we noted, Guobadia was previously married to Falynn Guobadia. During that time, the couple bought at least two mansions in Atlanta.
Their first property was an estate in Buckhead, which they bought for $3.36 million. Following the divorce, Simon Guobadia sold this property for $4.5 million.
The second property was their home in Sandy Springs, Georgia, which they bought for $7 million in January 2022. It is unknown who got the mansion in the divorce, and whether or not they sold it.
We also don’t know where Simon Guobadia lives today.
Cars and Other Assets
While the ownership of the jet is not public information, Simon Guobadia has posted a few pictures on his Instagram account with his wife Porsha in front of a private jet.
What we do know is that he’s a big fan of cars and his collection is worth over $2 million today. The collection includes a:
- Phantom
- Dawn
- Cullinan
- Three Rolls-Royces
- Ferrari 812 GTS
- Mercedes AMG S63
- Coachmen Mauck 2 van
- Cadillac Escalade
What Can We Learn From Simon Guobadia’s Success?
Guobadia engaged in ventures in many industries from gas and oil to hospitality and television productions.
This goes to show that, if you are passionate about something, you need to be courageous enough to pursue it, even if it is not what you originally intended to do when while in school.
The triumph of nearly all of Guobadia’s endeavors has led to personal growth as well as lucrative returns on his investments and made his net worth grow steadily over the years.
From humble beginnings and what was most likely not an easy transition when he moved to a new country, the entrepreneur managed to build a fortune using his business acumen and fierce decision-making.
Apart from his achievements as an entrepreneur, as well as his involvement as an executive producer, Guobadia’s philanthropic activities showcase the importance of giving to others and helping the community.