From Millionaire to Prison: The Chess Champion Who Had to Start Over

As a young adult, Chi Chi became Nigeria’s youngest national chess champion, without ever having a coach. After finding his way to New York City, he became a chess master and built a medical company generating millions of dollars a year. But when the company became the subject of a medical fraud case, his life changed dramatically. He went from living in a penthouse to serving time in prison. After his release, he returned to the game that had guided him since childhood. He committed himself to teaching young players and used chess to rebuild his life and stay on the right path. In this episode of Over the Board, Women’s Chess Master Maddie Weber follows Chi Chi through New York City as he shares his remarkable story of triumph, failure, and rebuilding. Then, they face off over the chessboard to see who comes out on top. Production Note: Since this episode was filmed, Chi Chi has reportedly been detained by ICE. CREDITS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Lee Ackerley CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Trevor Ristow Tim-Ryan O'Kane FEATURING Maddie Weber Chikwere "Chichi" Onyekwere DIRECTOR/CAMERA OPERATOR Gabbi Bass CAMERA OPERATOR Anna Heisterkamp EDITORS AJ Serrano Charles Montany Gloria Vela ASSISTANT EDITORS Michael Trainor and Kaylyn Yew EIC Fergal O'Gorman LINE PRODUCER Reina Nishida-Lee OPEN: DIRECTOR Tim-Ryan O'Kane OPEN: CAMERA OPERATOR Storr Todd OPEN: EDITOR Charles Montany MUSIC BY HAUS Music ABOUT ACKERLEY: Ackerley is a media company and creative studio for the deeply curious. We create work for humans who can feel when something is real. Inspired by an era when culture was discovered rather than optimized, we deliver people first stories that prioritize human connection over algorithmic trends. Call it chaos with a PhD. We’re here to earn your attention through craft and curiosity. People over platforms. SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW! Check out our website: AckerleyCreative.com On Instagram: www.instagram.com/ackerleycreative/ On TikTok:   / ackerleycreative   On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...