“Patience Is Key”: A Look Into the Wealth of SA’s Newest Dollar-Billionaire Teaches Powerful Lessons

• A content creator shared three important lessons from 87-year-old Paul van Zuydam's billionaire journey
• Van Zuydam bought the Le Creuset cookware brand in 1988 and turned it into a global success
• South Africans were inspired by his story and thanked the creator for the wisdom

A content creator has shared powerful lessons from South Africa's newest dollar billionaire, Paul van Zuydam, an 87-year-old businessman, who was recently added to Forbes' list of billionaires after building Le Creuset into a global cookware empire worth over R14 billion in annual revenue. In a video @henrytheplug posted while sitting in his car, on 30 December 2025, he broke down van Zuydam's business journey and brought up three key lessons that anyone can apply to their own lives and careers.

In the clip, the man shared that Van Zuydam first noticed Le Creuset in the 1980s while serving as chairman and CEO of homeware group Prestige. The French cookware company was struggling with family infighting and rising debt, but he saw potential in their craftsmanship and quality control. He tried to buy the company for Prestige, but the deal collapsed when Prestige was bought by an American tobacco company.

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French workers went on strike because they didn't want American ownership. Instead of giving up, van Zuydam resigned from Prestige in 1988 and bought Le Creuset with his own money. He rebuilt the company by focusing on what it did best, closing scattered facilities, investing in automation and cutting costs by 10%.

Today, Le Creuset makes more than 20,000 products daily and has expanded into the US and Asian markets without taking on external debt. The content creator shared three lessons from this story: family feuds can destroy business potential, don't despise your workplace because opportunities are everywhere and patience is key as success takes time.

Mzansi inspired by billionaire lessons

Social media users shared their thoughts on TikTok user @henrytheplug's clip, stating:

@Jeff wrote:

"I see Pick 'n Pay is going there 😞."

@Prosperity Gogodla said:

"Thank you so much, let me follow you. This is power-packed wisdom and knowledge, sir, 💪."

@Lerato V commented:

"I learn a lot from you. Thank you very much 🙏"

@thickizwa shared:

"I love this for RSA. The brand is a firm favourite."

Paul van Zuydam's billionaire status

According to BusinessTech, Forbes' real-time tracking of billionaires, Paul van Zuydam has a net worth of $1.7 billion (R28.4 billion) as of December 2025. He ranks as the 2,186th richest person in the world.

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Van Zuydam is now the eighth South African to rank among the world's dollar billionaires and the oldest at 87 years of age. The other South African billionaires include Johann Rupert, Nicky Oppenheimer, Koos Bekker, Patrice Motsepe, Michiel le Roux, Christo Wiese and Jannie Mouton.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

3 Other stories on wealthy people

• Briefly News recently reported on South Africa's wealthiest woman, Magda Wierzycka, who is set to return after maintaining UK tax residency for seven years.
• Mamelodi Sundowns continues to hold a clear financial lead as the richest football team in South Africa for 2025.
• US star Beyoncé became the fifth musician to be declared a billionaire by Forbes.

Source: Briefly News