Entertainment

Nigerians deride Mercy Eke over $100m birthday gift

Published

2 months ago

September 30, 2024

A video has been circulating on social media, claiming that Big Brother Naija star Mercy Eke received a mind-blowing $100 million as a birthday gift from her unknown boyfriend.

The alleged gift of $100 million was neatly packaged in a small briefcase, alongside an iPhone, which left many netizens in awe of Mercy Eke.

However, upon closer scrutiny, this claim doesn’t quite add up, and here’s why.

The Reality of $100 Million in Cash for Mercy Eke:

Let’s break down the logistics of handling such an enormous sum of money in cash. A stack of $10,000 in $100 bills is approximately half an inch thick. Therefore, a pile of $1 million in $100 bills would measure about 43 inches high, roughly the height of a school backpack. However, when it comes to $100 million in $100 bills, things become much more substantial.

According to financial experts, $100 million in $100 bills would require an entire standard construction pallet to hold the cash. The standard pallet size is 48 inches by 40 inches, and it can hold about 4,000 pounds of weight, which is what you’d need to transport that amount of cash. Simply put, $100 million in cash would never fit in a small briefcase, as seen in the video — it would require a large pallet, not to mention multiple security measures, to even transport.

The Math Behind It

To put this in perspective, a standard pallet can hold the equivalent of about $100 million in $100 bills, spread evenly over its surface. Each deck board of the pallet measures 3 1/2 inches wide by 5/16 inch thick, making it clear that only a well-constructed and heavily reinforced pallet would be able to handle such a load.

Even if Mercy’s supposed gift was in $100 bills, the sheer volume and weight make the story improbable. A small briefcase could possibly fit a few million dollars, but not $100 million.

Why the Story Doesn’t Hold Up

The video, although stunning and glamorous, falls apart under realistic financial and logistical scrutiny. Netizens have already begun to question the authenticity of the alleged gift, with many pointing out the absurdity of trying to fit such a massive sum into a small briefcase. If Mercy Eke’s birthday gift were truly $100 million, it would require much more space — and possibly even a team of security personnel — to manage.

While fans may want to believe in the fairy tale of Mercy Eke’s $100 million gift, the cold, hard facts tell a different story. The packaging shown in the viral video doesn’t match the reality of transporting that much money. It’s safe to say that this headline-grabbing claim is more fable than fact.

@kingsgley: Even without watching I know it can’t be $100 million dollars.

@AssistantEbukaa it’s either you are doing this to take a survey of gullible Nigerians or it is for engagement. Watching the video you will see there’s 500 naira denominations.

@irunnia: We have a numbers problem in Nigeria. Do you people know what is $100 Million? 🤣

@obetiku: 100m dollars will not enter 25 Ghana must go bags.

@mosesokpokoge: Werey millions!A bundle of those is just $10kThose bundles are not more than 10.You guys should take it easy on numbers.

@ebukaokehie: 100M dollars Dem suppose stone you

While the authenticity of the surprise remains unclear, the debate continues to generate buzz on social media, with many followers eagerly waiting for Mercy Eke’s response to the ongoing controversy.

Is it true that Mercy Eke received $100 million from her man? The discussions surrounding this story suggest that netizens remain skeptical, and it appears this mystery might not be solved anytime soon.

Entertainment

MultiChoice Nigeria Loses 243,000 DStv, Gotv, Subscribers In Six Months Over Increase In Price

Published

4 days ago

November 13, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The South African pay-TV operator MultiChoice Group disclosed that its Nigerian unit, MultiChoice Nigeria, lost 243,000 subscribers on its Digital Satellite Television (DStv) and General Entertainment on Television (GOtv) services from April to September this year.

The company revealed these figures in its Interim Financial Results for the period ending 30 September 2024, which were released on Tuesday.

MultiChoice attributed this decline to Nigeria’s high inflation rate, which exceeds 30%, driven by the rising costs of food, electricity, and fuel, causing many customers to disconnect.

In its financial report for March 2024, MultiChoice had earlier reported an 18% subscriber loss in Nigeria.

The company further reported a 566,000-subscriber loss in the Rest of Africa operations over the past six months, with Zambia and Nigeria contributing the largest shares to this decline.

“With the Rest of Africa business having seen a decline of 803k subscribers in 2H FY24, this rate of decline slowed to 566k in 1H FY25,” stated MultiChoice.

The loss included 298,000 in Zambia and 243,000 in Nigeria, while other markets experienced a minor decline.

Extreme inflation and currency instability have negatively impacted the group’s profits, with MultiChoice Group CEO Calvo Mawela commenting, “We are making good progress in addressing the technical insolvency that resulted from non-cash accounting entries at the end of the last financial year.”

Mawela noted that the group’s net equity position is expected to recover by November.
With regard to Zambia’s losses, the company attributed them to extensive power outages caused by drought, leaving some regions with up to 23 hours of daily outages.

The company also cited competition from streaming services and changes in viewer preferences as pressures on its traditional pay-TV model.

To adapt, MultiChoice invested an additional ZAR1.6 billion in its streaming service Showmax, which reported 50% year-over-year growth.
Mawela added, “Showmax strategically positions the business to actively participate in the streaming revolution as it gains momentum across Africa.”

Entertainment

My ex made me a gold digger — Actress Sarah Martins

Published

5 days ago

November 12, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Nollywood actress Sarah Martins has narrated how she became a gold digger.

The actress made this known while reacting to Veekee James’ story of abuse and financial exploitation by her ex-lover.

In a trending post on her Instagram page, Sarah explained that she turned gold digger after her former lover established another woman with her money.

She wrote: “After listening to Veekee James experience in her former relationship, all I can say is, stop overplaying your role in a relationship!

“There was a time I gave my ex 50% of my salary for 6 months and he was giving the money to another woman. He even funded her business from my sweat and the lady got married to someone else months after he funds her business.

“I’m a lover girl and I go hard for people I love but ever since them show me shege on top my kind heart, I no dey give man shishi! With my full chest, I am currently a gold digger!”

Entertainment

Wizkid creates dance challenge for his song ‘Dance’, fans react

Published

5 days ago

November 12, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

With some exciting news, Nigerian Grammy Award-winning singer Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, better known as Wizkid, has caused a stir among music lovers.

The singer is set to release a new song from his Morayo album titled “Dance” on Friday, November 15, 2024. Recall that the singer previously released a song with Brent Faiyaz titled “Piece of My Heart.”

Despite not having been released yet, “Dance” is already popular on social media, particularly on video sites, where fans are performing amazing dance moves for the song.

Wizkid has demonstrated his global talent by transitioning from his superstar and Ayo albums to the Made in Lagos and MLLE period. His next song “Dance,” a timeless Afrobeats song that has fans buzzing even before its release, suggests that he has listened to his followers.

His official DJ, DJ Tunez, has previously hinted about the song during a London party.

See videos of the dance move below