PAUL OBANUA: Our Vision Is to Make Rhodium45 Luxury Bulletproof Cars Mainstream Worldwide
Step into a world where luxury and security are seamlessly intertwined, where every drive and every journey is elevated by premium pleasure, precision, perfection, and protection. Texas Armoured Direct stands at the pinnacle of armoured luxury, delivering more than just vehicles. The company offers a lifestyle where elegance, performance, and uncompromising protection travel hand in hand. With a global reach and a flawless reputation among heads of state, very high-net-worth individuals, executives, and celebrities, Texas Armored Direct is redefining what it means to travel with prestige, pleasure, and protection. In this interview with THISDAY, Paul Obanua, Chairman of Texas Armoured Direct, who drives the vision and passion of the Rhodium45 Ultra Luxury Series Vehicles, talks about the world’s most exquisite bulletproof cars, each a masterpiece of design and engineering, curated for those who demand nothing less than the best and purest. Obanua discloses the U.S.-based company’s mission to make ultra-luxury armoured vehicles mainstream across the globe. He has the sense, science, and space to make that happen
Let’s start with why you chose to go into the automotive business.
I have always been in the business of mobility technology. I’m deeply involved in mobility technology. In addition to that, we are zeroing in on safety technology, and that connects with the sustainability you’re talking about. Our own idea of sustainability is not something that is woozy theory. We are talking about sustainability as it affects you now and here. Like I said, our BR6 level armoring is insurance before the fact, not after the fact. It is safety and sustainability before any eventuality, not something that offers you succour after the eventuality, like life insurance. You can compare our armoring to life insurance. So, that’s the analogy. We are life insurance before the eventuality.
How long have you been in this business?
If you’re asking how long Paul Obanua has been in this space…I have been in the transportation space since 2004. I have done haulage with Mack trucks. At one point, I owned over 24 Mack trucks, purchased from Alhaji Lanre Shittu, may his soul rest in peace. He was like a father to me. He supported me and advised me. This was back in 2005. So, we hauled cement for Lafarge for many years. Eventually, when I moved to the United States, I started a company called GetGo Charter Inc. The company then rented vehicles to individuals in the ride-sharing business. However, we pivoted from that and fully transitioned into car customization, and subsequently, we upgraded to a premium service. Now we’re moving into ultra-luxury vehicles. So, it’s been a journey. Before Texas Armored Direct, there was GetGo Charter, which still exists but no longer offers car rentals. It’s now in the armoring business. On the back of GetGo Charter, we registered Texas Armored Direct in 2023. That’s our evolution. We aim to become an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) within the next two years. We will not be buying chassis from Cadillac anymore because we will have our own chassis. Our two to five-year plan is that it’s no longer about custom-built vehicles. Why do we want to do that? The greatest challenge with bulletproofing is the weight. If you’re getting to the BR6 level, you’re putting about 2,000 pounds of additional weight on the car. So, it makes the car heavy.
With Rhodium45, registered as Rhodium45 R&D (Research and Development), we focus on materials science and collaborate with several research labs and university institutions to develop lightweight armoring that provides the same BR6 level of protection. We even have something higher than that, which can resist armor-piercing bullets. We are now working to make it mainstream and mass-produce it. This is with the goal of making bulletproof cars mainstream, so that when you buy a car for $150,000, it comes with bulletproof features already. So, we would be the first. We’d be reducing the weight, which is the problem, and also reducing the price while improving quality. Just as SpaceX’s ultimate goal is to send humans to Mars, our goal at Texas Armored Direct is to make armored cars mainstream. Just as there were no seatbelts in the sixties, by the eighties, they had become mainstream and were required. That’s the way airbags were invented, too. When airbags were invented, they were introduced to race cars and later high-end luxury cars. Other mid-level cars started having it, but they only had it on the driver’s side (on the steering wheel). Now, a Lexus has about eight airbags, and some vehicles have up to 12. Now, it is mainstream. So, what we are trying to do by becoming an OEM manufacturer is to make bulletproofing mainstream. So, if you can afford a Mercedes S580, you should be able to afford our bulletproof cars.
In terms of craftsmanship and technology, what distinguishes Rhodium from its competitors?
We use the best materials. Our products are thoroughly tested, and we never compromise on standards. We also give you the armoring certificate. That’s where we begin to differentiate ourselves from the competition. Competitors provide armoring but don’t offer ultra-luxury finishing. Even when they do, they don’t match the level of electronic and intelligent configuration that comes with our ultra-luxury vehicles. So, what differentiates us is the ultra-luxury finish and the in-built electronic capabilities of the vehicle, such as 360-degree cameras. It’s truly a command centre. It includes motion-compatible Starlink internet. It’s like a moving conference centre. So, some competitors that do finishing only do leather, and anyone can do that, but what about the electronics?
Can you tell us why Texas Armoured Direct, Inc. is targeting high-net-worth clients with its new automobile?
The Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armored Supercars are high-end products. They are not just BR6 (ballistic resistant) level vehicles. They feature ultra-luxury finishes with a 42-inch television partitioning the driver from the chairman at the rear. The TV can be adjusted up and down, and the vehicles come with a champagne refrigerator, a surround sound system, and a fibre optic skylight. These things cost a lot of money to put together. It is for those who really appreciate the fine artistry of craftsmanship. To produce any of these products, approximately 1,000 man-hours are invested, utilising high-quality Italian leather. You are not buying a Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armored Supercar because you need transportation. You are buying it because you can afford luxury and the finer things in life. Since you can afford the finer things in life, you also want to be in a protected environment. Therefore, this is why ballistic-resistant (BR6) level protection is an added feature. That is not what we are promoting, but of course, it is important because those who can afford these high-end vehicles or products also need protection. This is why governments often require life insurance or similar protections. In this case, the BR6 (ballistic-resistant) level of armoring is life insurance before the fact. You know insurance is usually after the fact, after you’ve been killed, then life insurance will kick in. However, you can assume this to be life insurance in advance. If you can spend anything between $300,000 and $700,000 to be in one of our models, then it is safe to say that you have life insurance before the fact.
Please walk us through the process of making your automobiles.
We purchase what we call chassis (the base structure of a vehicle), then custom-build them to the BR6 level of armouring, which is a presidential-level security standard. Of course, there are higher levels of protection, but they are not necessary for civilian use. Afterwards, we perform what we call an extreme interior conversion for vehicles requiring it. Sometimes, we don’t perform conversions. However, to become the Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armoured Supercar, we must first complete the interior conversion. However, for those that are just Texas Armored Direct, we stop at armouring. The only added feature is armouring, which is hand-grenade-proof and bulletproof. The Texas Armored Direct is a standard armored vehicle, while the Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armored Supercar is a command center on the road, featuring a 360-degree view camera. It’s like having a private jet on the road. In fact, a private jet doesn’t compare, as the Rhodium45 Ultra-Luxury Armored Supercar offers features beyond those of a private jet. It is more relatable to a super yacht, such as those found on Jeff Bezos’s or Roman Abramovich’s yacht.
With the Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armoured Supercar, we are now launching it as a brand on its own, just the way you have General Motors, which owns Cadillac and others. Therefore, Texas Armored Direct is the parent company of Rhodium45. So, what we are currently pushing is the Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armored Supercar. Of course, we still produce standard armored cars, which are all high-end. We are talking about the Lexus LX600, the Mercedes G63 AMG, the Cadillac Escalade Sport Platinum, and the Range Rover Autobiography. These are already high-end vehicles. If you want to end it at the level of armoring, it’s more affordable. However, if you now want exclusivity, such as the level we provide for presidents, heads of state, or ultra-high-net-worth individuals, that’s when you begin to enter the Rhodium45.
Some ultra-high-net-worth individuals prefer to hold onto their wealth. They think they will live forever or are afraid of running out of money. They spend their money on cousins or strangers they don’t know, but what have they done for themselves? Some don’t even eat well. So, for us at Texas Armored Direct, it’s not about how rich you are. We don’t even sell to everybody. We sell to individuals with a lifestyle, and we conduct AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and KYC (Know Your Customer) checks. You won’t find anyone who is not clean who has our product. Our brand is not for everybody, which is why we make it very clear that it’s for ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
What’s your biggest international market?
We are based in the United States, and our target market is the U.S. Every car manufacturer’s dream is to break into the U.S. market, and we are pleased to be a U.S. company. We are already meeting all the requirements here. As you know, America doesn’t want foreign manufacturers. All those beautiful Chinese cars you see can’t come into the U.S. due to economic and safety reasons. And of course, our engines come from General Motors, then our chassis come from Range Rover, Mercedes, and also General Motors, that’s in terms of the Cadillac Escalade. The chassis we use are the Range Rover Long Wheelbase (LWB), Lexus LX600, Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Bus. And when you say international market, Nigeria is not a market you can ignore. But if you ask me, Mexico and Brazil are our biggest international markets. Nigeria shows up on the radar very well. As a Nigerian by birth and experience, I still embody the can-do spirit of Nigerians. Nigeria is also an important market for us, and we’ve done very well there, but we know it can be even bigger. It only needs more education and improvement in the supply chain.
Are there challenges your company grapples with in the supply chain?
No, it just needs to get better. We don’t have any challenges per se. It’s not a Nigerian issue. My preferred method of shipping is air freight, but this is at the client’s request. I have used air freight, and it arrives in Lagos within five days. The longest it has been with air freight is seven days. For sea shipping, it gets to Apapa in one month. We’ve also had experience with sea shipping in some cases, which can take up to three weeks. However, that’s the standard. On average, if we ship from Jacksonville or Baltimore, it arrives in Lagos within four weeks. However, our Rhodium45 orders are strictly shipped by air, and that’s how we’ve always done it.
How have the U.S. trade tariffs impacted your business plans?
In the first three months, when the tariffs were announced and everything became convoluted, we had issues transporting our chassis across the border. It affected us a bit due to the uncertainties, but things are now stable. We are not against tariffs. Policy stability is what is important to us. We are dealing with ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and money is not the problem. What is most important to them is service. A promise made is a promise kept. If you tell them they will have their products in four weeks, ensure that they receive their product at their doorstep within that timeframe. You have to be very clear in your communication with them. You must practice very clear communication. They want premium service. And premium is authentic communication, clarity, and transparency, and those are the things we work to improve every day.
Do you offer after-sales service, parts, and maintenance to customers in export markets like Nigeria? What is the service like?
Yes, we have local partners that can provide that support. We can also supply parts and all of those. The local capacity is there. Nigeria is a robust market with a wealth of skilled professionals. If anyone tells you, ‘Oh, they can’t do it in Nigeria,’ it is a lie. And if you don’t know, we can point you in the right direction. So, we provide after-sales support. We also do trade-ins. If we sold you a car, we can take it in and give you another one after 24 months. In America, it is called pre-owned certification. We can certify the vehicles right there in Nigeria and sell them in that market. It’s not something we try to promote, and most people don’t even offer to sell their bulletproof cars. Why would you want to sell it? It is not consumable, and it has nothing to do with trends. That’s why we’re getting more requests for the Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armored Supercar, as it’s so customised. No two people in your circle are likely to have the same car. So, there’s nothing like an old model Rhodium45 because it is built to be exclusive.
As seen on your profile, sustainability is a central theme. Would you like to talk about that regarding your new product?
I wear many hats, but I don’t want to delve into that in this interview. I provide market entry strategy advisory for sovereign wealth bonds. So, I’m in high finance and private equity, actually, but the armoring is my baby. And you can’t be in high finance and not talk about sustainability. My specialty in the bond market is market entry strategy. I’m channelling all this expertise into the Rhodium45 Ultra-Luxury Armored Supercars, applying everything I’ve learnt and do. So, I want to stay with this product. I’m not trying to sell or promote anything else. Other things are quiet businesses I do on the side that don’t need publicity. Why I have allowed myself to be driven into that by you is to say that all these experiences I have had in the last 30 years of my entrepreneurial journey are what I’m pouring into the Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armored Supercars. So, it is not a fad. Let me add that there is no entrepreneur who does one thing. However, you can focus on one thing at a time. Of course, I have teams that handle all these things, but today, my focus is the Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armored Supercars by Paul Limitless, and that is what I’m putting my face and my brand on.
Any future plans for electric vehicles?
That’s a brilliant question, and that is where it connects with sustainability. We don’t currently believe that we must do EVs. We are not currently focusing on EVs, but we are working on launching bulletproof hybrid electric vehicles (BHEVs). The sustainable product is hybrid electric vehicles, and we already offer them in Lexus. The LX700h is a hybrid. Mind you, if you are going EV, the battery is a lot of weight, and you don’t want to put another 2,000 pounds of weight on that. However, by the time we start building our own chassis, as I mentioned, we would have reduced weight and increased energy absorption capacity.
