By Emmanuel Daniji

For most Nigerians, owning a house is one of the biggest signs that life is finally becoming easier. After years of paying rent, many people dream of the day they will finally move into a home that belongs to them.

But Ola of Lagos appears to have a completely different idea about home ownership.

The luxury influencer and entrepreneur, Waris Olayinka Akinwande, popularly known as Ola of Lagos, has revealed that despite owning multiple properties, he deliberately continues to live in a rented apartment.

And there is an unusual reason behind his decision.

Speaking during a recent episode of the KK Show, Ola said he has never spent a night in any house he bought with his own money. According to him, moving into one of his own houses could make him too comfortable and reduce the pressure that keeps him working.

For Ola, paying rent is part of the motivation.

“Despite being in a beautiful estate, I still live in rented apartments and pay rent,” he explained, adding that he pays as much as ₦50 million every year for his accommodation.

He believes the financial responsibility of paying such a huge rent reminds him that there is always another bill to settle and another reason to keep pushing.

“When I pay 50 million naira a year, I use that pain to keep grinding harder,” he said.

His revelation is particularly striking because Ola has built his public image around luxury cars, expensive homes and high-end living. He is widely known for showcasing luxury vehicles and properties online and has grown from a car enthusiast and content creator into an entrepreneur with interests in automobiles and real estate.

Yet, behind the luxury lifestyle is a man who says he deliberately avoids the comfort that many people spend their lives trying to achieve.

Ola’s argument is that too much comfort can sometimes reduce the hunger to achieve more. Rather than seeing home ownership as the point where he should settle down, he sees the responsibility of paying rent as something that keeps him alert and ambitious.

His position, however, is personal. In a related discussion, he reportedly stressed that people should consider their own financial realities rather than copy his approach.

The revelation has naturally attracted attention because of the size of the rent involved. ₦50 million every year is not a small housing expense, particularly for someone who already owns properties.

But for Ola, the money is not simply disappearing into rent. He considers it part of the pressure system that keeps him moving.

His story also offers a different look at the idea of wealth. While many people measure financial success by how quickly they can stop renting and move into their own homes, Ola appears to have chosen the opposite path.

He owns houses but does not live in them.

He can afford to buy, but continues to rent.

And instead of seeing the rent as a burden, he sees it as a reminder that he must continue working.

Whether that philosophy works for anyone else is another matter. But for Ola of Lagos, paying ₦50 million a year to remain a tenant is, in his own words, part of what keeps him “grinding harder.”