A new investigation by UK-based publication The Londoner has linked late Nigerian banker, Herbert Wigwe, to the ownership of 106 properties in London, placing him among the top foreign real estate holders in the British capital.

The report, titled “Revealed: The billionaires who really own London,” identified Wigwe as the seventh-largest owner of London properties among global billionaires.

According to the investigation, a total of 32,611 properties across London are owned by overseas entities. The findings followed a recent change in UK law mandating foreign companies to disclose their beneficial owners—shedding light on previously concealed property holdings.

Researchers, working with data compiled by tax expert Dan Neidle of Tax Policy Associates, analysed thousands of overseas entities to uncover the individuals behind prime real estate assets in the city.

The properties identified span some of London’s most high-profile locations, including Oxford Street, Canary Wharf, and the Greenwich Peninsula.

Herbert Wigwe, who until his death served as Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, was among those whose holdings were revealed through the disclosures.

Wigwe died in a helicopter crash in the United States in February 2024 alongside his wife, son, and former Nigerian Exchange Group chairman, Abimbola Ogunbanjo.

The report also highlights how a significant portion of London’s luxury real estate is held through offshore companies, particularly in jurisdictions such as Jersey, where ownership transparency was previously limited.

Since Wigwe’s passing, his estate has been the subject of legal disputes among family members.

The findings underscore the scale of foreign investment in London’s property market and reveal complex ownership structures that have, until now, remained largely hidden from public view.