Ezra Olubi: When Digital Genius Collides with Digital Footprints
By Shuaib S. Agaka
On an ordinary November evening, Nigerians witnessed a sharp turn in the narrative of one of their most celebrated tech figures. What began as quiet online murmurs soon exploded into screenshots, threads, and timelines filled with decade-old posts—explicit jokes, sexual comments involving minors, unsettling humour, and troubling allegations linked to a man once regarded as one of Africa’s most brilliant innovators. Ezra Olubi, co-founder of Paystack and the unconventional face of a $200 million acquisition by Stripe, was suddenly trending not for genius, but for shock, disbelief, and disappointment.
By the end of the week, applause had given way to interrogation. Tweets long buried resurfaced with force, including remarks about young girls, fetish-tinged statements, sexualised humour, and accusations of inappropriate conduct with a younger colleague. The same online community that once amplified his brilliance now demanded clarity and accountability. His image was not dismantled by a mob; it was undone by his own digital past.
Ezra Olubi was born on 12 November 1986. Long before his name became synonymous with African fintech, he developed an early fascination with computers—a passion that guided him through Babcock University, where he graduated with first-class honours in Computer Engineering. After years of freelancing and building systems, he teamed up with Shola Akinlade in 2015 to co-found Paystack, a company designed to simplify online payments for Nigerian businesses. What began as a niche solution evolved into one of Africa’s most influential fintech giants.
Tech Digest reports that in 2020, Paystack secured one of Africa’s biggest startup exits when Stripe acquired it for over $200 million. The achievement catapulted Ezra into national recognition, earning him the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) in 2022. His public persona—gender-nonconforming, flamboyant, and unapologetically unconventional—challenged Nigeria’s conservative norms and made him both an icon for some and a target for others. This tension amplified everything around him: praise, scrutiny, admiration, and resentment.
But even before the scandal erupted, faint signals suggested his aura of invincibility was never absolute. Whispers circulated privately, concerns about blurred boundaries, troubling jokes, and behaviour many found odd but excused as eccentricity. These early signs were often dismissed in the shadow of his achievements—until the spark came.
When Nigerians began circulating screenshots of Ezra’s old tweets, the reaction was immediate and visceral. These were not vague insinuations but explicit posts. Among them were sexualised jokes about colleagues, comments about minors, fetish-related admissions, and a disturbing tweet implying sexual misconduct involving his sister. Others referenced recording female friends using his bathroom and making jokes about prayer postures in ways many considered deeply offensive. The tweets, resurfacing all at once, created a digital avalanche that reshaped public perception overnight.
As the tweets dominated social media, allegations followed. Anonymous accounts and pseudonymous participants in audio spaces recalled encounters that suggested manipulation, inappropriate conduct, or imbalance of power. One alleged ex, known only as “Maki,” claimed she experienced concerning behaviour that blurred lines between personal freedom and predatory tendencies. As stories multiplied, Ezra’s digital reputation collapsed.
Paystack, once shielded by his brilliance, found itself at the epicentre of a reputational crisis. The company suspended him pending investigation—a move that signaled internal panic. Investors grew uneasy, partners demanded clarity, and Stripe assessed potential damage to its global reputation. Eventually, termination became inevitable. Ezra released a rebuttal, attempting to contextualise the tweets as satire or youthful foolishness, but the harm was irreversible. Corporate institutions act swiftly when founders become liabilities.
Ezra’s downfall has significant implications for Nigeria’s tech ecosystem. For years, founders were celebrated as untouchable disruptors—ingenious, eccentric, and exempt from public morality. This incident shattered that myth. The new reality is clear: innovation does not erase accountability. Investors, regulators, and the public are now recalibrating how they judge tech leadership—not just by vision, but by character.
His story is a cautionary tale for digital natives and future innovators. The internet never forgets, and brilliance is not a moral shield. In an era where digital footprints become evidence and public perception shapes legacy, Ezra’s journey reinforces a timeless truth: talent builds empires, but character sustains them.
Ezra Olubi built part of Africa’s digital economy, but his legacy is now inseparable from the words he once posted carelessly into the world. His rise and fall will be studied not just as a narrative of success, but as a reminder that even genius must answer to the standards of its time.
Shuaib S. Agaka is a Tech Journalist and Digital Policy Analyst based in Kano.
Email: [email protected]
