Nigerian-Lebanese tycoon Bassim Haidar's Optasia is pivoting from airtime to electricity
Optasia is moving into electricity advances and credit card-style loans, months after founder Bassim Haidar cut his stake from 19.3% to 1.5%.
Optasia
Nigerian-born billionaire Bassim Haidar has given Farage's Reform UK another £192,000
Bassim Haidar, born in Nigeria to Lebanese parents, gave Reform UK £192,000 between April and June, taking his disclosed total past £547,000.
Tycoon Bassim Haidar's Optasia has lost 40% since February after Nigeria suspended its core service
Optasia has fallen about 40% from its February peak after Nigeria suspended airtime credit and founder Bassim Haidar cut his stake.
Optasia investors are unsettled as founder Bassim Haidar exits most of his stake
Optasia founder Bassim Haidar has cut his JSE stake from 19% to 1.5% within months of listing, while a related-party acquisition and Nigeria suspension rattle investors.
Tycoon Bassim Haidar's Optasia suspends airtime credit services in Nigeria as regulators bite
JSE-listed fintech Optasia has suspended airtime credit services in Nigeria after new FCCPC digital lending regulations disrupted telecom-linked credit products across the market.
Nigerian businessman Bassim Haidar snaps up One Hyde Park flat for £42 million
Reform UK backer Bassim Haidar buys cut-price One Hyde Park flat tied to bankrupt Hong Kong tycoon, betting on a long-term rebound in prime London.
South African investors Kumalo, Oved eye new AI deals after Optasia win
LLH Capital trims its holding in Optasia’s R6.5bn IPO and lines up a fresh push into AI and fintech across Africa.
Bassim Haidar’s Optasia stake jumps to $260 million on JSE debut
Optasia rose on its Johannesburg debut after pricing at the top of the range. Founder Bassim Haidar’s BH Holdings owns 19.01% — about 234.8m shares — now valued at roughly R4.55bn ($260m). The AI microfinance firm partners with telcos and banks to deliver small-ticket credit at scale.
FirstRand to buy $279 million stake in Nigerian-Lebanese tycoon Bassim Haidar’s Optasia
FirstRand to acquire a $279 million stake in Bassim Haidar’s fintech Optasia ahead of its Johannesburg IPO.
Nigerian-Lebanese tycoon Bassim Haidar’s Optasia targets $1.5 billion valuation in Johannesburg IPO
Optasia, led by Nigerian-Lebanese tycoon Bassim Haidar, plans a Johannesburg IPO targeting a $1.5 billion valuation.
Nigerian-Lebanese tycoon Bassim Haidar plans $365 million IPO in South Africa with AI Fintech Optasia
Bassim Haidar is betting big on African fintech, planning South Africa’s largest IPO of 2025 to fund Optasia’s global expansion.
Nigerian multimillionaire Bassim Haidar looks to exit Optasia to focus on cannabis
Haidar is the founder of multinational fintech company Optasia that provides mobile financial services.