Ezra Olubi is a highly successful Nigerian software developer, tech expert, and entrepreneur.
He is best known as the Co-founder and former Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Paystack, one of Africa’s biggest and most successful financial technology (fintech) companies.
Early Life and Background
Ezra Olubi was born on November 12, 1986, in the historic city of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Growing up, Ezra did not initially dream of working with computers; his childhood dream was actually to become a pilot. However, his life changed completely during his secondary school years when a family friend moved into their home. The friend brought a personal computer with him, which served as Ezra’s very first introduction to programming. Fascinated by what he could create with code, he quickly shifted his focus toward technology.
Family Background
Ezra was raised in a highly structured and disciplined environment in Ibadan. Public discourse around his upbringing has often tied his family’s background to a deeply religious and conservative lifestyle, which stands in sharp contrast to the highly expressive, unconventional public persona he adopted as an adult.
Education
Ezra pursued his higher education at Babcock University, a private Christian institution in Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State. He studied Computer Science and quickly stood out as one of the brightest minds on campus. During his time at university, he won the school’s “Programmer of the Year” award consecutively. Most importantly, it was during the university’s annual Software Exhibitions that Ezra met and became close friends with Shola Akinlade a friendship that would later change the face of African tech. Ezra graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science in 2006.
Early Entrepreneurial Journey
After graduating at the young age of 20, Ezra began working his way through the Nigerian tech ecosystem. He held several foundational roles, including:
• IT Administrator at Business Management Consultants Ltd.
• Web Applications Developer at North Ocean Logistics, where he built early web platforms.
• Head of Product Development at Softcom Imagio, where he helped build Eyowo, an early unified mobile payment system.
• Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Jobberman Nigeria (2012–2013), where he helped migrate the massive job platform to cloud-based architecture.
• CTO at Delivery Science Inc. (2014–2015).
His early professional frustrations with the limitations of existing payment infrastructures in Nigeria laid the groundwork for his next big move.
Breakthrough in Cryptocurrency and Fintech
In late 2015, Shola Akinlade approached Ezra with a vision to fix the broken online payment system in Africa. Together, they co-founded Paystack.
As the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Ezra designed the core technical architecture of Paystack. He built a secure, fast, and developer-friendly payment gateway that allowed businesses to accept credit and debit card payments instantly. In 2016, Paystack made history as the first Nigerian startup to be accepted into Y Combinator, the prestigious Silicon Valley accelerator.
The ultimate breakthrough came in October 2020, when global fintech giant Stripe acquired Paystack for over $200 million, marking one of the largest tech acquisitions in African history.
Business Ventures
Beyond Paystack, Ezra has been involved in several other technical and advisory ventures:
• Magic Alexander Haring Consulting Ltd: A firm he has directed since 2012, offering technical consulting, trend research, and software development oversight to businesses.
• Angel Investing: Following the Stripe acquisition, Ezra became an angel investor, putting money into early-stage African startups to help grow the continent’s tech ecosystem.
Influence in Nigeria’s Crypto Space
While Paystack primary focused on traditional fiat payments (debit cards and bank transfers), Ezra’s technical building blocks greatly influenced Nigeria’s cryptocurrency and broader Web3 space. By providing the seamless infrastructure that allowed Nigerians to instantly fund local fintech wallets using local bank cards, Paystack became the primary fiat “on-ramp” and “off-ramp” for major crypto exchanges and platforms operating in Nigeria before government regulations shifted.
Controversies and Public Attention
Ezra has always been a polarizing figure in the public eye due to his appearance and beliefs. He identifies as a heterosexual male but embraces an androgynous fashion style often wearing lipstick, painting his nails, and wearing unconventional outfits to formal events, which frequently sparks intense debate on Nigerian social media.
More recently, his career faced a severe setback. In November 2025, Ezra was suspended and subsequently terminated from his role at Paystack by the Board of Directors following allegations of sexual misconduct involving a subordinate, combined with public backlash over resurfaced historical tweets from 2009–2013. Ezra publicly stated that he viewed his termination as unfair and intended to pursue legal remedies.
Lifestyle and Assets
Known for his quiet but highly comfortable lifestyle, Ezra enjoys the fruits of being a tech multi-millionaire. He loves expressive fashion, high-end alternative art, and digital gadgets. Unlike typical celebrities, he rarely flaunts luxury cars or mansions, preferring to invest his wealth in fine art, tech assets, and private comfort.
Personal Life
Ezra keeps his romantic relationships and private life completely out of the media. He remains vocal about individualism, self-expression, and human rights. He has frequently used his platform to advocate for minority rights and LGBTIQ protection in Nigeria, breaking the mold of the traditionally quiet, corporate African executive.
Net Worth
While his exact personal net worth is not publicly disclosed, Ezra’s wealth is largely rooted in the $200 million acquisition of Paystack by Stripe in 2020, where he held a significant co-founder equity stake. Combined with his early career ventures and subsequent startup investments, his net worth is estimated to be in the millions of dollars.
Legacy and Influence
In October 2022, Ezra Olubi was awarded the National Honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) by President Muhammadu Buhari for his exceptional contributions to technology and the economy.
Despite recent controversies, his technical legacy is undeniable. He proved to a generation of African software engineers that world-class, billion-naira systems could be programmed right out of Lagos and Ibadan.
Conclusion
Ezra Olubi’s journey is a fascinating tale of childhood curiosity turning into a multi-million dollar reality. From a boy fascinated by a neighbor’s computer in Ibadan to a national honor recipient and fintech pioneer, he broke both engineering barriers and social norms. While his recent exit from Paystack marks a turbulent chapter, his impact on how money moves across Africa remains permanently written in code.
