Celebrity nightlife promoter and businessman, Cubana Chief Priest, has fired back at billionaire industrialist Cosmas Maduka, Chairman of the Coscharis Group, after the latter publicly criticized the viral slang “Money na water.”
In a lengthy Instagram post, the socialite, real name Pascal Okechukwu defended the philosophy behind the phrase, arguing that while older generations built their wealth through traditional industries like factories and real estate, today’s youth have found fortune in visibility, attention, and digital influence, which he described as “the new currency.”
Chief Priest stated that the dynamics of wealth creation have shifted dramatically in the digital era, noting that what used to be physical capital has now transformed into “attention capitalism.”
“With all due respect to the motivational speaking older generation who built wealth quietly, the world you thrived in is not the one we live in today. In your time, capital was factories, fleets, and real estate. In our time, attention is the main capital,” he wrote.
He emphasized that in this modern economy, visibility is everything, declaring that “what you don’t show doesn’t sell.” According to him, the ability to attract and sustain attention online is now comparable to running a factory in the 1980s.
“Content is not noise. Content is digital equity. The same way factories produced wealth in the 80s, attention produces wealth today,” he asserted.
Chief Priest’s response came after Maduka’s viral statement, in which the billionaire said he avoids events where people “throw money around” and distanced himself from the culture of flamboyant displays of wealth.
Reacting, Cubana Chief Priest accused Maduka of hypocrisy, claiming that the billionaire used his name to “trend without paying.” He went further to mock him, saying:
“Why must a billionaire pretend to use the toilet just to run away from an event? That’s a lot of stress for a real billionaire.”
The nightlife mogul also urged Maduka to “remove his name from the likes of Tony Elumelu and Femi Otedola,” praising both men for using their wealth to uplift and empower others while giving Africa global visibility.
“You mentioned Elumelu, that’s my mentor in the corporate sector. He doesn’t just say ‘money na water,’ he lives it. Same with Otedola. These are men who use their wealth to give Africa visibility. You don’t belong in their league, sir,” he wrote.
Clarifying the deeper meaning behind his catchphrase, Chief Priest said “Money na water” is not a celebration of vanity but a “prophecy of abundance, liquidity, and flow.”
“When I say ‘Money na water,’ it’s not vanity, it’s revelation. Water moves, and so does relevance, visibility, and influence,” he explained. “A man with massive attention today has more leverage than one with quiet billions but no presence.”
He concluded by announcing that his upcoming anthem titled “Money na Water” will be released this Friday at midnight, describing it as a “peace anthem” that celebrates success and flow.
The post has since gone viral, sparking a heated debate online about generational differences in wealth, values, and what it truly means to be successful in the digital age.
