Made Kuti, grandson of the legendary Afrobeat icon Fela Anikulapo Kuti, has disclosed that his grandfather died without wealth despite his massive earnings during his lifetime.

Speaking on a recent episode of the Tea With Tay podcast, hosted by actor Taymesan, Made revealed that Fela’s extreme generosity was the reason he died broke.

“Fela didn’t have money when he passed. He earned enough to buy an entire street, but he was extremely generous. After returning from a show at Kalakuta, he would open a box full of cash and allow anyone who needed it to take some. Strangers from the streets could walk into his home freely because he operated an open-house policy,” he said.

He further shared that Fela treated everyone equally, even his children, noting that they were not allowed to call him “dad” or “father” to avoid any special privileges within Kalakuta Republic.

Made also noted that Fela was celebrated more internationally than in Nigeria while he was alive.

The Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Kuti, died on August 2, 1997, at the age of 58.