Freddie Achom is a British entrepreneur and co-owner of the Jalouse nightclub in London. He has diverse interests from antique furniture and classical architecture to investing in property and businesses. While he was expected to become a doctor, Freddie instead pursued various business ventures. He co-founded Jalouse with his partner to create an elite club that challenged stereotypes by attracting a diverse clientele including celebrities and artists. Through focusing on authenticity and continuous innovation, Jalouse has succeeded while other clubs have failed. Freddie hopes to expand Jalouse internationally and continue achieving his goals through hard work and ambition.

1. 12
feature interview
a m b i t i o n s
&
Dreams
Recognised as one of the
UK’s most powerful business
entrepreneurs, there’s more
to Freddie Achom, co-owner
of the infamous Jalouse
nightclub, than meets the
eye, as Sim Smith discovers
over lunch
I
’m sat at one of London’s
classic lunchtime tables leafing
through the menu and waiting
for my interviewee to arrive.
Based on the premise that
anyone worth interviewing is worth
waiting for, I sit back for ten minutes
and hone my people-watching skills.
Freddie then enters the restaurant
greeted by a string of waiters who
obviously know him well. On the
outside, he is everything you would
expect from a nightclub owner – well
dressed, polished and gregarious;
however, on speaking to him one-to-one,
you find there is a lot more to Freddie
Achom than champagne and parties.

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3. 14
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He plays many roles from
businessman to art enthusiast and
father. In fact, he has just returned
from his Paris home, having spent the
weekend looking after his daughter.
By this stage, I had already deduced
that he would not quite meet the crazy
club owner stereotype expected. Over
lunch, he jokes of his curious attraction
to all things old, from the antique
furniture that fills his homes to the
classical architecture of Rome, where
he also owns property. Carwise, he
is not a fanatic but an enthusiast, an
appreciator of great design. As a result
of this, his favourite toy is not the
latest Lamborghini Murciélago, but an
old Ferrari Dino, circa 1970. It is this
unusual but captivating side of Freddie
that sets him aside from your average
entrepreneur, a rare coupling of an
artistic spirit and a head for business.
Freddie was schooled privately in
London but was sent back to Nigeria
by his parents to attend university in
an attempt to get back to his roots.
The plan was for Freddie to become a
doctor, but after 18 months of hitting
the books, he left study behind and
returned to London to work for a
firm of surveyors. Freddie then owned
a string of businesses from record
labels to magazines, and even invested
in luxury interiors brands Pedini
and Miller kitchens. Property was
always a passion of his; he worked in
investment property for high net worth
individuals, and still develops projects
all over the country.
So how did he end up in the
entertainment industry? “I didn’t wake
up one morning and think: ‘I’m going
to be a club owner’ ”, but, as with most
start-ups, it was a case of right place,
right time, right contacts. Freddie met
his business partner, Moruf Yoozooph,
who approached him with the idea of
a club five years ago. Having never
worked in the entertainment industry,
this presented Freddie with a great
learning opportunity and a chance to
invest in a long-founded dream; he
wanted to build a brand. A small club
in Beirut was making big waves on the
international club scene at the time.
Freddie approached the owners of the
Crystal Club in Lebanon with an idea
of taking it global. “Crystal hit London
with a bang”, Freddie explained. The
little club with a big reputation grew
until it had clubs opening all over the
world from St Tropez to LA and China.
After some time, however, the investors
wanted to pursue different avenues and
the club was sold.
After seeing the inner workings of
the industry first hand, Freddie felt
there was room for improvement:
“...most things I think I could do
better; otherwise I wouldn’t start.”.
He wanted to better the product,
the service and the all-important
clientèle. The idea was to create a
space that could meet the expectations
of London’s élite party crowd,
somewhere “...your girlfriend could
wear her nice shoes to...” after dinner
at one of the capital’s top restaurants.
Freddie wanted to challenge the
negative stereotype of the West End
club and re-label the area, starting
with Jalouse, as the only place to
spend your Saturday night.
Why he has succeeded where so many
have failed is down to one of his basic
business formulas, “I become the client;
I go out in the West End”. As opposed
to relying on celebrity endorsement to
promote the club, Jalouse has developed
a reputation all of its own. The club has
given the West End its edge back in a
move away from commercial holiday
music that dominated the scene for
much of the Noughties. The members
club plays host to an incredible mix of
people from stylists to artists, A-List
celebrities and DJs; this is “not a
members’ club full of suits and ties”.
Consequently, Jalouse has not
lost out to a new club opening: “we
focus on what we do, you have to
be authentic and individual”. It is
this mantra that has earned him
his reputation and has seen him
recognised by the likes of the Power
List, celebrating the UK’s 100 most
powerful business leaders, politicians
and entrepreneurs of African and
Caribbean heritage, awarded by
Gordon Brown. After being asked to
join for the last three years, Freddie
finally accepted and, in the space of
a week, had met Gordon Brown and
Bill Clinton. Although it was a great
honour to be added to this prestigious
list, what really interests Freddie are
its workings. It has a purpose and sets
an example, acting as a role model and
inspiration for younger people.
Freddie is testament to the ability
to achieve one’s goals. He believes in
dreams and ambition and in making
things happen. Although he has
achieved a lot so far, his sights are still
set on future plans, “...that’s where my
focus is” and with a club launching
in Shanghai this year as well as the
launch of a string of restaurants and a
hotel launch in 2014, the goals are set
high, but there is no doubt that they
will be achieved. n
For further information on Jalouse and
the club’s future openings, please visit
www.jalouse.co.uk
His favourite toy is not the latest
Lamborghini Murciélago, but an
old Ferrari Dino, circa 1970