Hazel Oyeze Onou, also called Whitemoney, is one of the contestants on the BBNaija or Big Brother Naija Season 6 reality show. He joined the contest on the show’s first day, 24 July 2021. Since his arrival, he has made several highlights of the show and he is in pole position as one of the viewers’ favourites.
Who is Whitemoney? In summary, he is a business enthusiast and entrepreneur running a designer shoe import business just before entering the BBNaija House. There is a lot to learn about him and this article will provide all the details you need to know.
Already, many think that Onou will be among the last five finalists of the “Shine Ya Eye” episode of Nigeria’s most-watched show. This is something that only time can reveal. However, the contestants are in the running for the prize money of NGN90 million as well as other add-ons they can get during the course of the contest. First, let us see a quick rundown of the most important facts about Oyeze Onou.
Top ten facts about Whitemoney
- Whitemoney is 29 years old as he was born on 6 July 1992 in Enugu State, and his parents are Yoruba.
- His real name Hazel Oyeze Onou and he attended primary and secondary school in his hometown.
- Whitemoney moved to Lagos State to hustle on his own and he had to sleep under bridges while struggling to fill his belly.
- Some of the jobs that he engaged in include Okada riding, photography, fixing generators and telecommunications mast, and barbing.
- While working as a barber he started his career as an entrepreneur by selling hair care products before going into making and selling shoes.
- During an interview with African Magic, he said that the highest point of his life was starting his designer shoe import business.
- Whitemoney was among the five housemates nominated for eviction in the first eviction round of BBNaija Season 6 “Shine Ya Eye” show.
- He got endorsement and support from Nigerian actress Funke Akindele and Yul Edochie.
- His Instagram account grew to about 300K followers within a week of being on the show.
- Whitemoney is allegedly worth nearly NGN15 million.
Early life and education
Whitemoney was born on 6 July 1992 in Enugu State, where he spent most of his childhood. His parents are Igbo and his real name is Hazel Oyeze Onou. According to details he revealed while in the BBNaija house, his mother was a food seller during his childhood.
We do not have details about his education at this time. Likely, he had his primary and secondary school education in his hometown. Then, he moved to the land of opportunities, Lagos State, to find his path in the world.
On getting to Lagos, Whitemoney did not find things easy. He allegedly had to sleep under bridges because he did not have a more suitable place to lay his head. To keep his stomach filled, he had to learn all sorts of crafts and hustles.
“I’ve done photography, fixed tiger generators, and fixed telecommunications mast; all because of the hustle and bustle,” Onou said in an interview. He also mentioned that he even worked as an Okada rider as well. Things slowly started taking shape when he learned how to cut hair.
Going into barbing gave Whitemoney a sense of stability and with it can purpose. Soon, he began selling hair care products and jewellery. During all of this, he never lost his sense of humour and his entertaining personality. He continued singing at every opportunity he got to lift his spirits and those of people who encountered him.
Whitemoney started making and selling shoes and this was where he made his money from. He told African Magic that the highest point of his life was starting his designer shoe import business.
Personal life
Looks can be deceiving and this is true in Whitemoney’s case. He says that while he may look posh, he is actually very streetwise. During his stay in the BBnaija House, he revealed that he had once had a serious relationship that would have led to marriage. However, his lover’s mother kicked against their plans because of racial differences and the relationship ended.
He describes himself as a down-to-earth person while also being strategic as well. In his pre-show interview with BBNaija organisers, he revealed that he dislikes back-bitters, hypocrites and gossipers. Meanwhile, he loves watching movies.
Additionally, he says that when a fight breaks out around him he is usually trying to settle the differences and keep things calm. “I will never fight over food or sleeping space,” he said.
Net worth
Even before appearing on BBNaija Season 6 “Shine Ya Eye”, White Money has come a long way from the hustling Enugu boy struggling to find his feet in Lagos. He recently got himself a Benz and Clacified.com claims that he is worth about NGN15 million in 2020.
Whitemoney in BBNaija house
From his first day in the BBNaija House, Whitemoney has steadily gotten himself fans. His antics during the routine morning workout sessions have given viewers something to talk about and social media users have quickly turned his photos into memes.
Also, he assigned himself the official cook for the house and has been in charge of cooking meals. Likely, what endeared him most to fans was the fact that despite claiming to have suspected that Pere and Maria were the wildcards, he did not rat them out because he considered Maria to be his sister.
While this may or may not be true, viewers have chosen to take his statement as the gospel and this further endeared him to them. It even made him into some kind of a persecuted figure after both Pere and Maria nominated him for eviction.
After the announcement that he was among those likely to exit the contest early, Nigerian actress Funke Akindele and actor Yul Edochie both called on their fans to vote and keep him in the house. This support has made Whitemoney a top contender for the prize money.
Maria and Pere are BBNaija Season 6 wildcards
BBN or BBNaija fans were already predicting that Liquorose is one of the wildcards placed in the house to give the show a new twist. What does wildcard mean? In Big Brother Naija terms, a wildcard is a fake housemate that is not in the competition for the grand prize or any other for that matter.
Viewers and fellow housemates believed that Liquorose was one of the wildcards because of how famous she already is before even entering the house.
However, during the dairy session on Thursday, 29 July 2021, Big Brother revealed to viewers that Maria and Pere were the wildcards. Although, the housemates still have to uncover them themselves, or they remain on the show. Also, it is interesting that Maria was able to guess that Pere was the other wildcard during her dairy session. Her manipulating the housemates into thinking she is on their side in trying to fish out the wildcards has gotten her more fans.
As already stated, only Whitemoney had suspected both housemates and was not as surprised as the rest when Ebuka Obi-Uchendu made the revelation on Sunday, 1 August 2021.
We will be back with more updates about Whitemoney as he makes his name more known in the house. For now, you can also read this article, BBNaija Season 6 housemate Cross biography: real name, career, and net worth.