South Africa's richest man: 4 facts about Nicky Oppenheimer
With an estimated net worth of $7.7 billion, which is roughly R91 billion, Nicky Oppenheimer is the wealthiest man in South Africa. Have you always dreamt of being rich and among the richest people in your country? Reading this man's biography may inspire you, but make sure to follow the right steps that suit your time, experience, and skills. Getting to the top is never easy, and you will sure face many trouble on your way. So, be prepared, and always try to follow the foot steps of successful people around you.
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Nicky Oppenheimer
For those who are not aware of the diamond boss, he is the man the EFF's Juju talks about when 'white monopoly' comes up. He is now the richest man in the country, and he is also among the richest men in the world, as he has made a lot of money through his diamond business. If you have also made a lot of money or working in the diamond business, share with us your opinion about him in the comments section below, and maybe you will get more inspirations from other readers.
Oppenheimer used to be the Chairman of De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited before stepping down in 2012, just to name one of the positions that he has held in his career. Such a position has of course made him able to have a lot of experience in the field before building his empire step by step. That is why it is always important to learn very well about everything before venturing in a new business.
Briefly.co.za takes a look at five interesting facts about the 72-year-old diamond mogul.
1. He started his career at Anglo American Corporation
The richest man in SA started his career at the mining company in 1968. He was promoted to director in 1974, before becoming the deputy chairman in 1983. This position of course has made it possible for him to gain a lot of experience, skills, and knowledge in the field, which has made it easier for him to build his empire later on.
2. He could splash huge amounts of money daily without breaking bank
According to BusinessTech in 2014, Oppenheimer could splash $1 million, not R1 million rand, a day for 18-years without using up all his money. Can you imagine spending this amount of money everyday? You must be thinking what he does and how he is spending his daily life with all this huge amount of money.
3. He knows the Guptas
For years the Oppenheimer's aviation company, Fireblade, attempted to build a luxury terminal at airports. Rich people would be using the terminal to get throw customs quickly while getting parking space for their private jets. He was discussing the idea with home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba and it seemed to be going great, until the greedy Guptas came along.
They wanted a piece of the pie, which ultimately led to the idea never happening, and now the candy crush minister is denying everything. Unfortunately, greed leads to bad results, and there have been many cases already where the Guptas have led to many problems in the country, which is why they are facing charges.
READ ALSO: Atul Gupta is getting his money back: R10 million bank account unfrozen
4. South Africa is his home
The billionaire could have gone and stayed anywhere in the world but he chose to reside, even after he retired. Oppenheimer even believes Africa has what it takes to be a great continent, without help from the other countries. We are all sure that his investments are among the main ones that have helped the country to stand on its feet. His love for South Africa is also very obvious since he has never thought of going to live in any other country around the world, which means that he loves his country more than any other country. We are sure that the country could become a much better country of all South Africans share the same love for their country and home land.
“Because I am an African I reserve the right to say that Africa does not exist simply to make people in the UK, or anywhere else in the developed world, feel good about themselves.”, he was quoted saying.
Here are also some other quotes for him:
It's much nicer to be known as Mr. Nice Guy than Mr. Nasty Guy. But you've got to have lines - and when you hit the line, that's the end of the story, nice guy or not.
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Source: Briefly News
