GhanaWeb Factcheck: Hushpuppi has never been named African of the Year by Forbes

Claim:

Hushpuppi has also won African of the Year by Forbes Africa magazine

Verdict:

The claim is FALSE and misleading

Explanation:

In the wake of Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo being adjudged African of the Year for 2021 by the Forbes Africa Magazine on December 3, 2021, Kwadwo Twum Boafo,

Read full articlea former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Board and a member of the National Democratic Congress, has downplayed the significance of the president’s award.

While making a submission on Metro’s TV’s morning show, Good Morning Ghana on December 9 2021, Twum Boafo stated that, "Hushpuppi has also won African of the Year so let's make the correct...”



He was then interrupted by the host, Dr Randy Abbey, who also stated that “Hushpuppi is a fraudster.”

Twum Boafo then retorted, “Exactly! Hushpuppi has been named as the entrepreneur of the year by the same magazine”

Raymond Abass, also known as Hushpuppi, is under arrest and investigation for engaging in compromised frauds and other scams. The 37-year-old was arrested in June 2020 in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, and was extracted to the United States to face criminal charges over the allegations.

He is said to have defrauded a US law firm of about US$40 million, illegally transferred US$14.7 million from a foreign financial institution, and targeted to steal US$124 million from an English football club until his arrest by the Dubai Police in June 2020 and his extradition to the United States.

While documenting his luxurious lifestyle on social media, Hushpuppi quickly became an Instagram sensation with over 2.5 million followers on the platform.

Verification

To validate the claims made by Kwadwo Twum Boafo, the GhanaWeb Factcheck Desk found NO available trace of Raymond Abass, being named as African of the Year by the Forbes Africa magazine.

The team tried to contact Forbes Africa magazine but received no response as at the time of filing this report.

We however conducted a series of searches on Google Images, Google News, and Forbes magazine to validate the claims of which no results for the claim were found.

Also, a portion from a Forbes report in 2020 with the caption; “Billionaire Gucci Master’ Detained By FBI Over Alleged $124 Million Premier League Fraud” and published by David Dawkins, a Forbes Staff who writes on Billionaires explicitly read, ‘(Forbes does not currently include Abbas [Hushppupi] on our list of the World’s Billionaires.)

The GhanaWeb Factcheck Desk also discovered an image posted in 2019 on Abass’ Instagram that captures Hushpuppi posing in a private jet reading a Forbes magazine. This does not in any way prove the said claim by Kwadwo Twum Boafo.



It is also important to note that a variety of metrics are used for selecting personalities onto the Forbes list. According to Forbes, reporters, editors and expert judges consider a variety of factors, including: funding, revenue, social impact, inventiveness and potential.

Forbes Africa in particular conducts extensive desktop research, phone and Zoom interviews, to determine those worthy for each component of its monumental list.

The list also includes ideas, inventions and breakthroughs which have significantly contributed to the African growth story.

Conclusion

The GhanaWeb Factcheck Desk, therefore, finds Kwadwo Twum Boafo’s claim as false and misleading and one that seeks to create an impression that is entirely not true.