For Chief Oladipo Jadesimi, an Oxford University trained lawyer turned oil and gas mogul, he loves his quiet lifestyle. Despite his status as a wealthy businessman, he has managed to stay partially invisible among the top members of the Nigeria’s social establishment. For Jadesimi, the billionaire founder of the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL), a privately owned multi-billion naira state-of-the-art logistics and engineering facility located on an island on the coast of Lagos Lagoon, all he hopes for is to maximize the local benefit of Nigeria’s offshore oil and gas industry through his company, LADOL. With over 20 years’ experience in the Nigerian oil and gas sector, Jadesimi has been instrumental in bringing several leading oil majors and oil servicing companies to Nigeria. He is also a founding partner in Arthur Andersen Nigeria and a major investor in Niger Delta Oil Company, operating marginal field concessions from Chevron. With his ascension to the top of the oil industry’s greasy pole, Jadesimi seems to have yielded the spotlight to her two beautiful and cerebral daughters—Amy and Emma. Although they are of the same father, Emma and her 43-year-old half-sister live completely different lives. Amy —a trained physician turned Corporate Executive— is a product of Jadesimi’s marriage to former Miss Alero Okotie-Eboh. As the eldest daughter, she is running the family flagship business, LADOL as its Chief Executive Officer. Her half-sister, Emma, better known as Viscountess Emma Weymouth, is a United Kingdom-based socialite and fashion model. She was born on March 19, 1986 from a relationship the billionaire businessman had with English socialite, Suzanna McQuiston, while he was working as an accountant in London. Emma, the mixed-race daughter of the Nigerian oil tycoon, became a Viscountess following her marriage in 2013 to Ceawlin Thynn, Viscount Weymouth. Her marriage into the British aristocracy’s most eccentric family saw her become the Chatelaine of the Longleat Estate in Wiltshire. A report in one of British leading tabloids, Daily Mail, claimed that the Jadesimi sisters don’t keep in touch and Amy was absent at Emma’s wedding.
However, Emma, a mother of two boys, who had her second son through surrogacy because of a health condition, is in the news again. In spite of her upper class status as Britain’s first black Marchioness, the 33-year-old Emma, who is also a celebrity chef, is exploring a new adventure in dancing. The billionaire’s daughter has been named one of the contestants in Strictly Come Dancing, a British television dance contest. The red carpet launch of this year’s edition was held at BBC TV Centre in London on Monday, August 26. Joining Emma on the show were 14 other celebrities including retired England goalkeeper, David James; EastEnders star, Emma Barton, and comedian, Chris Ramsey. The start date for the main show is today, Saturday, September 21, following a launch episode, which aired on Saturday, September 7.
Emma said of her latest adventure: “I absolutely love watching Strictly every weekend and I can’t believe that I’m getting the chance to be on this series. I know it will be such an amazing experience from start to finish. I can’t wait for the dancing and the fabulous outfits!”
Aside from cooking and modelling, Emma has also worked as a contributing editor for the Huffington Post and British Vogue.