David Gbodi Odaibo, a young Nigerian IT prodigy who just earned a $125 million (roughly N69 billion) US government contract, has died.
David died in his sleep only seven days after winning the contract, according to his brother, Stephen Odaibo, who shared the sad news on LinkedIn.
In his sleep, the deceased is believed to have had a cardiac arrhythmia/heart attack.
“My brother died just a few days ago. My heart is shattered. He had been properly immunized and was free of covid. He and I were inseparably linked.
David was a wonderful person who was kind, polite, smart, and modest.
“He was a Kaggle Grandmaster, the highest achievable skill level in practical Machine Learning, and he held a PhD in Computer Engineering.
“He was the one who first exposed me to artificial intelligence.
About a week ago, the Department of Homeland Security awarded him a $125 million contract for an algorithm he created for automatically detecting dangers at airports.
“His code outperformed corporations with billion-dollar budgets. So please keep my brother David in mind as you fly safely across the skies in the future. Our hearts are shattered. My parents, his wife, and their two young children are all in dire straits. He has four siblings.
“We are devastated. David and I were tremendously aligned in our interests and would often talk for hours. Our connection was rare and precious. We ended phone conversations with “love you.”
“Hug your loved ones and tell them you love them. Though there may be sorrow in the night, joy comes in the morning. I’m comforted that David is with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Stephen wrote.
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