The Chief Executive Officer of the McDan Group of Companies, Dr. Daniel McKorley, is one of the richest men in Ghana. How big is his fortune?
He gained immense popularity after revealing that the Ghanaian youth of today are ‘lazy and sleep too much’ when advising them to eschew laziness and work hard towards achieving their dreams.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, he explained that the current hindrance to excelling is because;
“The youth of these days sleep too much and that is the problem we have been treated with kids’ gloves and this whole country, especially the youth, is becoming a begging nation and we have to get rid of that,”
Also in early 2023, the businessman faced a legal case after he allegedly took over Al-Hassan Iddisah’s land in dispute. The background of the case according to the Applicant is that his late wife and mother own two contiguous plots of land at East Legon, Accra which they had since 2002 until the Respondent forcibly took over from them.
After failing to appear before the court, the High Court (General Jurisdiction) presided over Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, sitting as an additional High Court judge imposed a fine of GH¢40,000 on him. The court said GH¢15,000 out of that fine should be given to the applicant in the matter, who accused McDan of forcibly taking over his land under dispute.
Since he came to the limelight, he has sparked the above and more controversies, however, a lot of Ghanaians are in an inquisition about his fortune. He is regarded as one of the richest men in the country, but, how rich is he and how does he make his money?
Profile Summary
| Celebrated Name: | McDan |
| Net Worth: | $600 million to $1 billion |
| Full Real Name: | Daniel Nii Nshia McKorley |
| Profession: | Business Executive |
| Company: | McDan Group of Companies |
| Assets: | Private jet, cars, houses |
| Date Of Birth: | June 16, 1971 |
| Age: | 52 years old (as of 2023) |
| Birthplace: | La, Accra Ghana |
| Wife: | Abigail McKorley |
| Parents: | Father was a teacher Mother was a housewife |
What is Daniel McKorley’s net worth?
How rich is McDan? Daniel McKorley is a Ghanaian business magnate and the founder, chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of the McDan Group of Companies. McDan’s current net worth is estimated at $600 million to $1 billion.
He was born in La, Accra Gnana on June 16, 1971. The businessman’s real name is Daniel Nii Nshia McKorley which means ‘eagle’ in his native Ga tribe of Ghana.
McDan is now the Gugba Naa of the Tamale Traditional Area after he was enskinned by the Dakpema Naa Mohammed Alhassan Dawuni.
He started the McDan Shipping Company (a conglomerate with expertise in transportation and logistics) in November 1999, headquartered in Accra and Branches in Tema and Takoradi. As one of the biggest logistics companies in Africa, it has a presence in over 2000 major air and seaports worldwide due to a partnership with Universal Freight Organization, Cross Trades, and World Cargo Alliance(WCA).
He has now acquired an Executive Masters in Business Administration (EMBA) and a Certificate in Entrepreneurship, both from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.
He has gained lots of recognition which includes The Achiever’s Award by West Africa Regional magazine, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of West Africa Nominee – 2015, and The Entrepreneur of the Year – 2016 at the Ghana Aviation Awards.
McKorley is married to Abigail McKorley and the couple has 10 children. McDan explained that he uses diverse methods to bring up each of his 10 children in order to shape them into an all-around adults.
Was McDan born into a rich family?
Mckorley, grew up in La-Accra and faced various challenges growing up. Due to the unavailability of funds he had to drop out of the university.
The businessman’s father was a teacher and his mother was a housewife. He has revealed that his mom, who died a few months ago, was a disciplined woman who shaped him to become a better person. He has not opened up about his parents and other family members and it seems he has never inherited any fortune from anyone as he is not from an affluent home.
On his birthday in 2022, Dr. Daniel Mckorley took the opportunity to motivate people in a video from his speech at the McDan Entrepreneurship Challenge finals in 2020.
In the video, he narrated what he went through to get to the position he currently is in today. He narrated how he did a lot of menial jobs in a bid to make ends meet. He said:
Starting from the streets of Labadi as a young man. Selling Kersone and bofloat. I was once a driver’s mate. Accra to Madina route. I was once a pupil-teacher. I was once a construction labourer if you can carry blocks than me then you are strong. But today God has given me something special and I am sharing with the next generation
He shared the inspiring footage on a celebratory day to motivate people not to give up. Captioning the post, he said:
My past has not defined me, or destroyed me, or deterred me, or defeated me; it has only strengthened me and allowed me to build impactful businesses.
He is a University drop-out
He is a graduate of Business Management and has been a business entrepreneur for more than ten years. Mckorley was adjudged the Entrepreneur of the Year – 2016 at the Ghana Aviation Awards.
Mckorley was born on June 16, in Labadi, Accra. He attended his primary school in the same community and furthered his education at the senior high level. After his High school education, he gained admission to study at the University of Ghana but dropped out because he could not pay his school fees.
He holds an Executive Master in Business Administration (EMBA) and a Certificate degree in Entrepreneurship both from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
He also holds diplomas in Leadership and Transport & Logistics. Daniel McKorley is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the McDan Group of Companies. He revealed that he dropped out of the University because he could not pay his school fees. Arguably one of the most successful businessmen in Ghana, Daniel McKorley could only attain a degree 15 years, after dropping out of the University of Ghana.
McDan owns a private airline in Ghana with a number of private jets
The CEO of McDan Aviation was the first to open a private jet terminal at KIA. McDan Aviation currently operates and manages the executive lounge for private jets at Terminal 1. It received a license to commence operations in 2019 as Ghana’s first fixed-base operator (FBO).
The first of its kind in the sub-region, McDan Aviation’s private jet services will cater to high-end clientele with a sense of optimising luxury, and for corporate executives seeking to leverage quick and efficient commutes for the purpose of business.
Daniel Mckorley has hinted that the idea behind the opening of the new private jet terminal is to create jobs for the teeming Ghanaian youth.
According to him, there are enormous opportunities in the aviation industry that he expects local entrepreneurs to take advantage of, especially with the coming in of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement as well as Ghana hosting its secretariat.
Speaking to Journalists after an official ceremony to open the biggest private jet terminal in sub-Saharan Africa, Daniel McKorley emphasised his commitment to supporting the growth of the Ghanaian economy.
“I built this facility to create jobs for the youth because I see a lot of opportunities in the sector that we as businesses and entrepreneurs can leverage to alleviate the suffering of our youth in both Ghana and Africa as a whole.”
“The idea of a private jet terminal is to target all business players that want to catch up with a short business in the country or close some deals and catch a flight within some short possible time,” he said.
Per the FBO, McDan Aviation now caters to the full ground handling services at KIA T1. This includes general aviation operations, aircraft service operations, aircraft airframe and engine repairs (maintenance), and aircraft rentals.
The facility boasts of VIP lounge, a crew lounge, and a flight planning office, as well as conference facilities and a hangar.
Passengers and crew can complete customs and immigration procedures in the same building, which also features a restaurant that can provide in-flight catering.
Cars and houses
At the moment, there has not been any sight of his cars and houses. He seems to be relatively private about his assets.
However, as a man dealing in airlines and owning private jets estimated to have cost around $10 million each, he can afford any exotic car and mansion in the world.
His McDan Foundation has done several donations yearly. In 2017, he donated a Daewoo salon car to the Ghana Olympic Committee GOC. He also presented a brand new pick-up truck to the Ga Adangbe Youth Association.