Ghanaian business mogul, Richard Nii Armah Quaye, has publicly challenged claims that his ex-wife, Joana Coffie, played a significant role in his rise to success, insisting he was financially stable long before their marriage.
The controversy gained traction after snippets of an upcoming interview with media personality Delay began circulating on social media on April 24, 2026.
In the interview, Quaye firmly dismissed narratives suggesting his former partner made sacrifices that contributed to his business achievements.
According to him, he had already established his business and was earning a steady income before their union.
“I was working before I married her. I started my business before I married her. I started making money before I went to marry her, and I funded our wedding,” he said, emphasising that the scale of their “very luxurious” wedding was evidence of his financial independence at the time.
Quaye further urged the public to disregard circulating claims about his past, stating that “99% of those claims are false.”
However, portions of a divorce petition reportedly filed by Joana Coffie and sighted by GhanaWeb present a different version of events, shedding light on the couple’s early struggles.
According to the court documents, their relationship began after they both completed Senior High School in 2002. At the time, they reportedly took on small jobs to support themselves while attempting to build a future together.
Coffie is said to have worked as a shop attendant in a textile boutique at Makola, while Quaye reportedly worked at his mother’s drinking bar.
The documents further indicate that the couple jointly saved money for higher education. However, Coffie allegedly had to drop out after their first year due to financial constraints, later taking on two jobs at a restaurant to sustain their income.
The filing also claims that their joint savings were later invested in a Databank product, which matured to approximately GH¢10,151.17 in 2018.
Additionally, the documents suggest that Quaye’s eventual studies abroad in the United Kingdom were partly supported by their shared financial efforts.
After returning to Ghana in 2009 without employment, Quaye reportedly relied on continued support from Coffie, who was then working as a temporary teller at a bank in Kaneshie.
