Picture a Kenyan billionaire with immense wealth and businesses who never carried a mobile phone. That was the case with the late Kenyan billionaire, Nicholas Biwott, who was well known as the “Total Man.”
From working closely with Daniel Arap Moi and at some point serving as a Cabinet minister, Biwott wielded power that many would have wished for. Yet, despite expectations for someone of his status to rely on phone communication, he never carried one whenever he attended either a public or private event.
Why did the “Total Man” choose this path? Times Digital Kenya takes a closer look at why Biwott never carried a mobile phone and other things that such a prominent figure was expected to have but he himself never did.
A Billionaire Who Never Carried a Phone
While alive and during his heyday, Nicholas Biwott was well known as a no-nonsense and close confidant of Kenya’s second President, Daniel arap Moi.
Having earned the trust of Moi, Biwott, however, lived a life of such mystery and secrecy that his business dealings remained top secret even to his closest associates until his death.
Years before he passed away in 2017, the “Total Man” was worth Sh100 billion, which at the time placed him among the top 50 richest people in Africa.
Nonetheless, in contrast to his billions, Nicholas Biwott never in any way carried a mobile phone. It was not that he could not afford one, as his fortune would have allowed him to own the most expensive ones, but for him, he never did.
In case he needed to make a call, Biwott would buy a SIM card and have it placed in his Personal Assistant’s phone or that of another close associate. Immediately after the call, he would discard the SIM card.
According to trusted sources, his decision not to carry a phone wherever he went was in a way linked to the fact that he trusted no one in his circle. In fact, he did not even trust his security, friends, or colleagues—he trusted none of them.
Switching cars
If not carrying a phone was not enough, Biwott, while travelling from one place to another, switched cars within a distance of less than a kilometre, whether on government or private duties.
For his own cars, he reportedly preferred inexpensive vehicles, unlike other government officials who commonly drove expensive, fuel-guzzling cars. The former Cabinet minister was comfortable using cheap cars, probably to disguise his movements.
With this, it is said that the “Total Man” was obsessed with security, and by doing this he intended to always remain secure and ensure that those who had ill intentions against him had no chance.
In addition, Nicholas Biwott never accepted drinks or even food bought in restaurants. Surprisingly, he was also keen on keeping his real age a secret.
