Once upon a time in Nollywood hustle land, actress Shan George thought honesty was the golden ticket.
But little did she know, that single moment of truth would slam the door shut on an opportunity with one of Nigeria’s wealthiest men.
It happened over a decade ago. Fresh from producing a movie, Shan brushed shoulders with one of the country’s financial giants.
It was a chance encounter she had gone to invite a father figure to her premiere, and there he was, larger than life, dripping in money and influence.
Out of boldness, she extended the invitation to him too.
The man, curious, asked her casually: “How much did it cost you to make this movie?”
Without hesitation, Shan replied, “N6 million.” At that time, N6 million was no joke, it was a mountain of cash. She thought her honesty would impress him.
Instead, the man smiled, waved her off like a street vendor, and never looked back.
Every call after that? Ignored. Every attempt to reach him? Blocked by silence.
Shan moved on, carrying the sting of rejection but refusing to play the fake-it-till-you-make-it game.
Years later, the truth finally clicked. That same billionaire confessed openly that he never takes “small people” serious in business. That was it.
Shan wasn’t brushed off because of her N6 million project, it was because she was still a struggling producer, a “little person” in his eyes.
Shan shared the painful lesson with raw honesty: “This is how the truth keeps setting us back. Should I have lied then? Maybe. But I won’t join the lying gang.
Today, I make movies worth $100 million. Oga, just one Bitcoin—will you invest now, or are we still too small?”
The reactions online? Explosive. Some clapped back, saying she should have “asked more questions.” Others agreed—honesty doesn’t pay in Nigeria. One even quipped: “This Otedola memoir go sell pass Bible when e land.”
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