Flutterwave co-founder Iyinoluwa Aboyeji says 'investing is for lazy people'—here's what he really means

• Flutterwave co-founder Iyinoluwa Aboyeji says Elon Musk built wealth by creating companies, not through passive investing.

• Investor Dr Ola Brown argues that investing exists on a spectrum and describes Musk as an active private-equity investor.

• Here's what the debate reveals about entrepreneurship, investing, and the different paths to building long-term wealth.

If you've spent any time on Nigerian X (formerly Twitter), you've probably seen the age-old debate: Should you invest your money or start a business?

Some swear by buying stocks, mutual funds, and real estate. Others insist the fastest way to build wealth is to create a company that solves a real problem.

Flutterwave co-founder Iyinoluwa Aboyeji recently reignited that conversation with a statement that caught many people off guard.

On the surface, it sounds like a dismissal of investing altogether. But the conversation that followed revealed a more interesting question: What exactly counts as investing?

Aboyeji's point appears to be that the world's richest people rarely become wealthy simply by putting money into stocks and waiting for returns.

Instead, they build companies.

Elon Musk's fortune, for example, is largely tied to the value he created through companies such as Tesla and SpaceX. 

Rather than relying on passive investments, his wealth grew because he spent years building, scaling, and leading businesses that dramatically increased in value.

From that perspective, entrepreneurship, not traditional investing, is the engine behind extraordinary wealth.

READ NEXT: 10 boring Nigerian businesses that are quietly making millions monthly

It's a philosophy many entrepreneurs share: create value first, and wealth follows.

Not everyone agrees.

Investor and entrepreneur Dr Ola Brown believes the statement oversimplifies what investing actually is.

Responding to the discussion, she explained:

"What people refer to as 'investing' actually exists on a spectrum, from money in savings accounts/low-interest government treasuries (what Iyin is probably referring to as lazy) to more active, value-add investing."

In other words, not all investing involves sitting back and waiting for returns.

Some forms require investors to actively improve businesses, influence strategy, raise capital, or help companies grow.

Brown even argues that Elon Musk himself can be viewed as an excellent private equity investor.

As she explains in her analysis, Musk did not found several of the companies he is most closely associated with.

Instead, he invested in them early, acquired significant ownership, helped shape their direction, and created enormous value through active involvement.

Seen through that lens, Musk wasn't simply an entrepreneur or a passive investor; he was both.

The debate highlights an important distinction that often gets lost.

Passive investing generally means putting money into assets, such as index funds, government securities, or publicly traded stocks, and allowing them to grow over time with relatively little involvement.

Building a business is different.

It demands creating products, hiring teams, managing operations, raising capital, solving customer problems, and taking on significant personal risk.

Then there's active investing, which sits somewhere in between.

Private equity investors, venture capitalists, and angel investors often do much more than write cheques. 

They mentor founders, open doors to new markets, shape business strategy, recruit executives, and sometimes even help run companies.

They're investing capital, but they're also creating value.

READ NEXT: 5 Platforms that Make Investing in Gold Easy and Profitable

This debate echoes ideas found in some of the world's best-known personal finance books.

In The Psychology of Money, Morgan Housel writes that wealth is often built quietly through patience, consistency, and long-term thinking rather than flashy financial moves. One of his best-known observations is:

The point is that lasting wealth is often accumulated through disciplined decisions that aren't immediately visible to others.

Meanwhile, The Richest Man in Babylon teaches readers to save a portion of their income and put it to productive use rather than letting it sit idle.

Neither book argues that everyone should become an entrepreneur. Instead, both emphasise making money work rather than letting it remain inactive.

READ NEXT: These 5 Trusted Apps Let Nigerians Invest in U.S. & Local Stocks Easily

The answer depends on what you mean by investing.

If investing simply means putting your money somewhere and hoping it grows while you focus on other things, then Aboyeji's description of it as "for lazy people" reflects the idea that your capital, not your labour, is doing the work.

If investing includes actively helping businesses grow, shaping strategy, and creating value, then Brown's argument suggests entrepreneurship and investing are not opposites; they can be different points on the same spectrum.

For most people, the lesson isn't to choose one over the other.

Very few people will build the next Tesla. Equally, very few will become wealthy by leaving all their money in a savings account.

The real takeaway is that wealth is rarely created by earning alone. 

Whether through entrepreneurship, active investing, or long-term investing in productive assets, the common thread is putting money to work instead of letting it stand still.

CONTINUE READING: How to safely invest abroad without leaving Nigeria