How Haider Rafique is putting crypto exchange OKX on the map
Call him a dealmaker, a rainmaker, or even a power broker – but Haider Rafique gets things done. As the managing partner and chief marketing officer at OKX, he is helping put one of the world's biggest crypto exchanges on the global map. One of the ways he's doing this is by wrangling high-profile partnerships and sponsorship deals that range from the football pitch to the racetrack, to the world of the arts.
Rafique is a busy man, and KT LUXE caught up with him in the back of his chauffeur-driven ride to a major crypto conference in Dubai recently. OKX scored a massive win there as one of the main sponsors. Not only was it the biggest crypto event to ever take place in the emirate, but Eric Trump, son of US President Donald Trump, took to the OKX stage at one point, giving the brand another major boost.
Rafique went to school in Abu Dhabi and has seen the UAE progress at a rapid pace over the past two decades. Coming full circle, he drove the sponsorship deal that put OKX on the shirt sleeves of Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City FC. The football club was bought by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice-President and Deputy Prime Minister via his Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG). Its head coach is Pep Guardiola. The team has experienced unprecedented success, winning multiple Premier League titles, domestic cups, and the UEFA Champions League, while expanding into a global football enterprise through the City Football Group.
'I think we can do a lot more with Man City, because I think people living here feel Man City is a [beacon of] national pride for them. We need to do more to help them celebrate their wins,' he said. Rafique talked about advertising the club's successes with huge billboards along Sheikh Zayed Road and bringing the team here. 'I want to bring Pep here and do a session. I want (star striker Erling) Haaland to kick a ball from one tower to another. Yeah, crazy stunts. I want people to be excited and energised.'
The club has not achieved its recent high standards this season, and missed out on the chance to win five Premier League titles in a row this year. 'They're not having the best season. But that's the time when you want to bet on your partners, to show them your support.'
That's how Rafique describes OKX's involvement with McLaren; the firm started sponsoring them during a poor period for the racing team. It has massively improved and McLaren continues to lead both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris currently occupy the top two positions in the Drivers' standings.
Passionate about Formula 1, Rafique counts a number of current and former professional racing car drivers as his friends, including McLaren's current line-up. He is also friends with actors through OKX's sponsorship of the Tribeca Film Festival, which was established by actor Robert De Niro, producer Jane Rosenthal, and real estate investor Craig Hatkoff.
If that wasn't enough, Rafique headed the deal for OKX to become the first official global sponsor of Majesticks GC, one of the 12 teams in the LIV Golf League. As part of the sponsorship, team members, including Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, sport the OKX logo on their team kits during tournaments across the US, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. LIV Golf is owned and funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds. It has invested nearly $5 billion (Dh18 billion) into LIV Golf since its inception in 2021.
During our plush ride, the shimmering skyscrapers of Dubai's rapidly expanding financial district passed by along with the glistening Museum of the Future, often described as the most beautiful building in the world. Rafique spoke about Eric's presence in Dubai, and plans for a Trump Tower in the city. The skyscraper is expected to be built by 2031. Rafiq mused about building OKX's own tower as he stared out from the taxi at the expanding Dubai skyline. 'Yes, I would love that,' he said.
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