Akon Talks His $1 Billion Chinese Credit Line & How He Gave Electricity to 16 Million Africans
“When I came to the US and saw how poverty was accepted here — what they claim to be projects — I thought they was living in luxury!”
Akon was recently invited on VladTV to share about his overseas endeavors. He shares that he had received a $1 billion Chinese credit line from investors for his Light Up Africa project to provide impoverished Africans with electricity. Along the way of his illustrious career, Akon met several billionaire friends who helped him build power plants in the five major areas of Africa, but also ran into some politics, which lead him to come across solar energy. He talks about how he grew up in Senegal without electricity and running water, and compares how even the hoods in the US are luxury compared to his living conditions in Africa: “When I came to the US and saw how poverty was accepted here, what they claim to be projects, I thought they was living in luxury!” Akon’s project is now active in 15 countries, and he’s provided almost 16 million people in Africa with power and energy (the full-scale version of the project aims to impact up to 80 million.) Watch the clip above.
