Koffi and Yao Assoua and their driver stood together in the back of the arrivals hall at Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport. Though trying to maintain their dignity, the two brothers occasionally rose on their toes to see over the heads of the crowd. Koffi’s daughter, Aminata—or “Amina,” as they affectionately called her—was coming back home to Côte d’Ivoire, and they were hoping to offer her a role in the family business.
A version of this article appeared in the September–October 2024 issue of Harvard Business Review.