When Wemimo Abbey landed in the U.S. from Nigeria, he believed in the American Dream—hard work, opportunity, ownership. Like so many immigrants, he came full of ambition, prepared to hustle for a better life. What he didn’t expect was to uncover one of the country’s biggest financial scams.
It wasn’t fraud in the traditional sense. It was a systemic failure hiding in plain sight—one that locked millions of Americans out of homeownership, not because they couldn’t afford it, but because the system said they didn’t exist.
The Silent Injustice No One Was Talking About
Abbey’s discovery was simple but staggering: renters—millions of them—weren’t getting credit for their biggest monthly expense. People paying $1,000, $2,000, even $3,000 a month in rent were still considered “credit invisible” by banks. These were responsible adults making on-time payments year after year, yet when they applied for a mortgage, they were told they had “no credit history.”
Meanwhile, someone with a $500 credit card and a few Starbucks purchases could qualify for a home loan.
Abbey saw this for what it was: a rigged system.
The credit system wasn’t built to reflect modern financial lives. It was built around credit cards, auto loans, and mortgages—products that banks profited from. Rent, which represents the largest monthly expense for many Americans, especially low-income earners, immigrants, and young people, was left out entirely.
Why? Because banks had no incentive to fix it.
Turning the Tables: A Billion-Dollar Vision
Rather than accept this injustice, Abbey built a bold solution: a platform that reports rent payments to all three major credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
His startup, Esusu, makes on-time rent count toward your credit score. Pay your rent, build credit. It’s that simple—and revolutionary.
The impact was immediate and profound:
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Renters saw their scores jump by an average of 60 points in just months.
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Over 200,000 people became “credit visible” for the first time.
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People who were once locked out of car loans, business funding, and homeownership suddenly had access to the full financial system.
This wasn’t just a win for renters. Landlords benefitted too, with reduced delinquency and higher tenant retention. The adoption skyrocketed—Esusu now supports over 1 million renters across 3.5 million rental units in all 50 states.
Even government-backed housing giant Fannie Mae took notice.
Then came the billion-dollar milestone: Investors valued Esusu at over $1 billion, cementing it as a fintech unicorn.
Why This Changes Everything
Esusu isn’t just a company. It’s a movement that threatens to rewrite the rules of the American credit system.
Today, 80% of renters want their payments reported. If that becomes the norm, we’re looking at a seismic shift—a $1 trillion redistribution of economic power, with credit scores no longer reserved for the privileged few.
For banks and credit card companies that profit from credit invisibility, that’s a terrifying prospect.
For Abbey, it’s justice.
The Real Lesson: Building More Than a Solution
What sets Abbey apart isn’t just his insight. It’s how he turned that insight into influence.
He didn’t stop at building a product—he built a voice, a platform, and a movement that forced the financial system to listen.
Because in today’s world, having the right answer isn’t enough. Building in silence keeps you invisible. Building in public makes you inevitable.
Abbey’s journey is a playbook for every entrepreneur with a mission:
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Find the blind spots.
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Build for people, not just profit.
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Speak loudly and make the world listen.
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Don’t just fix problems—change the system that created them.
Ready to Be Undeniable?
Wemimo Abbey came to America believing in the dream. When he saw how millions were being denied it, he didn’t wait for permission. He rewrote the rules.
That’s not just entrepreneurship. That’s revolution.
If you’re building something that challenges the status quo, don’t stay quiet.
Make them see you. Make them hear you. Make yourself undeniable.
