We're loading the complete profile of this person of interest including their biography, achievements, and contributions.


Co-Founder & CEO, Flutterwave
Public Views
Experience
Documented career positions
Olugbenga Agboola, widely known as "GB," is a Nigerian software engineer, entrepreneur, and business executive best recognized as the co-founder and chief executive officer of Flutterwave, one of Africa’s leading financial technology companies. Born in 1985 in Lagos, Nigeria, Agboola has played a significant role in modernizing payment infrastructure across the African continent, facilitating digital transactions for merchants and businesses in over 30 countries. Agboola’s educational background is extensive and multidisciplinary, reflecting a career-long focus on both technical and managerial expertise. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management. His commitment to continuous professional development has led him to complete various executive programs, including management studies at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, strategic marketing at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, and the Advanced Management Program at Columbia Business School. He also holds a Master’s degree in Information Technology Security and Behavioral Engineering from EC-Council University, and has certifications in project management and computing from the University of Westminster. Before co-founding Flutterwave, Agboola built a robust career in global finance and technology. His early experience included working as an application engineer at PayPal and serving in product management at Google, where he contributed to the development of Google Wallet. In Nigeria, he held pivotal leadership roles at prominent financial institutions, including Standard Bank (Stanbic IBTC Bank), where he worked in e-business and product development, and Access Bank, where he served as the Head of the Digital Factory and Innovation unit. Agboola is a serial entrepreneur; before his success with Flutterwave, he founded and exited two previous fintech ventures, one of which was acquired by a major Nigerian bank. In 2016, Agboola co-founded Flutterwave alongside Iyinoluwa Aboyeji with the objective of creating a reliable payment infrastructure that would allow businesses in Africa to process transactions seamlessly across different currencies and payment methods. While he initially helped launch the firm, he assumed the role of CEO in 2018. Under his leadership, the company achieved "unicorn" status, reaching a valuation of over $3 billion by 2022 following significant funding rounds led by global investors, including Tiger Global, Visa, and Mastercard. The platform has expanded its services to include remittance, ecommerce, and digital store solutions, helping connect African businesses to the global economy. Beyond his role at Flutterwave, Agboola is an active participant in the international business community. He serves as an advisory board member for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and is the Vice Chairman of the U.S.-Africa Business Center Board. He has also launched initiatives such as "Go Time AI," an accelerator program designed to support African startups focused on artificial intelligence. Agboola’s contributions to fintech and economic development have earned him significant recognition. In 2020, he was named one of Fortune's "40 Under 40" in finance. In 2021, he was included on TIME’s "Next 100" list. In 2022, he was conferred with the national honor of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) by the Nigerian government in recognition of his contributions to technology and innovation. Despite navigating challenges and periods of intense regulatory scrutiny inherent to the high-growth fintech sector, Agboola remains a central figure in the African tech ecosystem, consistently advocating for financial inclusion and the modernization of digital infrastructure on the continent.
Co-founded and scaled Flutterwave into Africa's most valuable fintech unicorn (valued at over $3 billion), completely revolutionizing cross-border payments on the continent
Secured massive funding rounds from top-tier Silicon Valley venture capital firms, including Tiger Global and Y Combinator
Built payment infrastructure utilized by over a million businesses globally to process African transactions seamlessly
Faced massive corporate crises in 2022/2023 when the Kenyan Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) froze millions of dollars in Flutterwave accounts over allegations of money laundering and card fraud (The charges were eventually formally withdrawn and the accounts cleared)
Subjected to intense investigative journalism reports alleging internal corporate toxicity, bullying, and insider trading by GB himself (He vehemently denied the personal allegations, though the company implemented sweeping HR reforms)
Navigated extreme volatility in African currency markets, particularly the massive devaluation of the Nigerian Naira, which severely impacted dollarized revenues
Awarded the Nigerian National Honor of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON)
Started career as an application engineer at PayPal in 2004
Served as a technology product developer and project manager at Standard Bank Nigeria from 2010 to 2014
Worked in product management for Google Wallet in 2014
Served as Head of Digital Factory & Innovation at Access Bank from 2014 to 2016
Co-founded the payment technology company Flutterwave in 2016
Appointed Chief Executive Officer of Flutterwave in October 2018
Named on Fortune's 40 Under 40 list in 2020
Honored as Young Business Leader of the Year by African Leadership Magazine in 2020
Recognized on the Time100 Next list in 2021
Awarded Tech Investor of the Year at the Business Insider Africa Awards in 2022
Conferred with the Nigerian National Honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) in October 2022
Named Vice Chair of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's U.S.-Africa Business Center Board of Directors in 2024
Named ThisDay's Young Global Leader of the Year in 2024
Recognized as a winner of the Legit Business Leaders Awards in the Fintech Leaders category in 2025
In April 2022, investigative journalist David Hundeyin published a report alleging that CEO Olugbenga Agboola engaged in insider trading, created a fictitious co-founder to increase his own equity, and manipulated employee stock options. Flutterwave denied these allegations and maintained that its operations have always complied with regulatory standards.
In 2022, former employee Clara Wanjiku Odero publicly accused Flutterwave and CEO Olugbenga Agboola of workplace bullying and harassment. While the company denied the claims, a related legal dispute regarding contact details and emotional distress proceeded through the Kenyan courts; in October 2024, the Kenyan Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Flutterwave, capping damages at a significantly lower amount than sought by the plaintiff.
Beginning in 2022, Flutterwave faced regulatory scrutiny in Kenya, where the Assets Recovery Agency froze the company's bank accounts due to allegations of money laundering and card fraud. The company consistently denied these claims, and in 2023, the Kenyan government officially withdrew the money laundering charges, resulting in the release of the frozen funds.