- André A. Jackson
-
M'zée Fula-Ngenge Born July 19, 1964
Neuilly-sur-Seine, FranceResidence Luanda, Angola & the United Arab Emirates Nationality French Other names M'zée Fula-Ngenge Education M.B.A., Ph.D. Alma mater University of Houston
Stanford University Graduate School of BusinessAndré Action Diakité Jackson (Arabic: أندريه جاكسون), (born July 19, 1964), more commonly known by his African clan name "M’Zée Fula-Ngenge" (pronounced [mze:] [fu:la] [ng'eing'ei]), is a diamond executive and head of JFPI Corporation, Africa's largest holding company.
Jackson is the world's first diamond manufacturer of African descent[1] and is also the architect and Chairman of both the African Diamond Council (ADC)[2] and the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA), the two umbrella bodies representing diamond-producing countries in Africa.
Background
André Action Diakité Jackson was born into a family of African American descent. His late father Tom Jackson was a decorated Administrator of the U.S. Armed Forces and his mother is Mary L. Barber Jackson, a retired Linguistics Professor.
Jackson became the world's first diamantaire of African descent in 1986, immediately after opening his own diamond manufacturing plant in Mbuji-Mayi, in the DRC. In 1987, he became a close advisor to the late Zaïrean president, Mobutu Sese Seko.[3]
In 1996, he briefly left Zaire and began expanding his diamond business by becoming a supplier of cut diamonds.
Jackson returned to the DR Congo (formerly Zaire) at the end of 1997 and proved to be instrumental in assisting Nelson Mandela to organize the first face-to-face meeting between Mobutu Sese Seko and Laurent-Désiré Kabila aboard the SAS Outeniqua, a South African naval supply ship docked off the coast of Pointe Noire (Republic of Congo).
In December 1999, the diamond magnate established the African Diamond Council (ADC), Africa's official diamond governing body.
In November 2006, Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos adopted and backed his proposal to establish the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA), an intergovernmental branch of the ADC.[4]
Jackson is a prominent automobile collector and the vehicles in his collection include the Maybach Exelero, the Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 as well as various custom-built Lamborghinis and Ferraris. [5]
References
External links
Categories:- Businesspeople in mining
- Diamond dealers
- Diamond
- Corporate executives
- Democratic Republic of the Congo businesspeople
- Living people
- 1964 births
- Maybach
- Military brats
- Businesspeople from Paris
- Peoples of the African American diaspora
- People from Luanda
- Angolan economists
- Lycée Saint-Louis alumni
- African business biography stubs
- Angolan people stubs
- Democratic Republic of the Congo people stubs
- French business biography stubs
- American business biography stubs
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