“Hi Tony” – Old video of Stanford student calling Tony Elumelu by first name resurfaces amid viral incident

An old video showing a Stanford Graduate School of Business student addressing Nigerian businessman Tony Elumelu by his first name has resurfaced online, sparking fresh reactions amid the ongoing debate over his recent interaction with a UBA trainee.

The 2022 footage has attracted attention following a recent incident in which a UBA Graduate Management Accelerated Programme (GMAP) trainee reportedly greeted Elumelu with, “Good morning, Tony,” during a graduation ceremony in Lagos.

Stanford Student Addresses Elumelu as ‘Tony’

The resurfaced clip was reportedly taken during a fireside chat at Stanford Graduate School of Business as part of the institution’s “View From The Top” speaker series.

During the session, student interviewer Chisom Obi-Okoye greeted the billionaire with the words, “Hi Tony,” before proceeding with the interview.

The casual exchange appeared consistent with the first-name culture commonly associated with many Western academic and professional settings.

Video Resurfaces After Viral UBA Incident

The old footage resurfaced online on August 21, 2026, shortly after Elumelu’s interaction with a UBA trainee went viral.

In the recent incident, the trainee reportedly addressed him as “Tony,” prompting him to correct her and ask that she call him “Mr. Elumelu.”

Elumelu reportedly explained that he did not subscribe to what he described as the “Oyibo” way of addressing people by their first names.

The incident subsequently triggered debate online, with Nigerians expressing different opinions about cultural respect, workplace hierarchy and the practice of using first names.

Facebook User Questions Double Standard

Facebook user Awuzie Frankline shared the old Stanford clip while questioning what he described as an inconsistency in how Nigerians apply cultural expectations in different settings.

While acknowledging that the trainee could have shown greater cultural sensitivity, Frankline argued that the way she was corrected was also important.

“Yes, culturally, the young lady could have shown more respect. But correction doesn’t have to become humiliation,” he wrote.

He also questioned why some Nigerians readily embrace informal Western practices when abroad or in international environments but enforce stricter traditional hierarchies at home.

“Respect should be consistent not dependent on someone’s status, location or social class,” he added.

Nigerians Debate Elumelu’s Interaction

The resurfaced footage has generated further discussion online, with social media users divided over whether the Stanford incident should be compared with the UBA graduation interaction.

While some users argued that the two situations reflected different standards for addressing senior figures, others pointed out that the settings were different.

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