Nicky Oppenheimer

Nicky Oppenheimer
Born	8 June 1945 (1945-06-08) (age 66) South Africa
Residence	South Africa, England, United States
Occupation	Businessman
Net worth	$6 billion
Spouse	Strilli Oppenheimer

Nicholas "Nicky" F. Oppenheimer (born 8 June 1945) is a South African businessman, the chairman of the De Beers diamond mining company and its subsidiary, the Diamond Trading Company. He also has a large financial interest in the diversified mining company Anglo American. In November 2011 the Oppenheimer family sold the entirety of their 40% stake in De Beers to Anglo American.^[1] He and his family control the Tswalu game reserve in the Kalahari,^[2] set up by his friend Stephen Boler.

Early life

Nicholas is the son of Bridget (née McCall) and Harry Oppenheimer,^[3] and grandson of Ernest Oppenheimer, the first generation of the family to chair (from 1929) the De Beers diamond mining company in South Africa, founded by Cecil John Rhodes in 1888. He is of German Jewish descent on his father's side.

He was educated in England at Harrow School and Christ Church, Oxford where he graduated with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, and later took the Oxford MA.

Forbes "World's Richest People" List of billionaires (2008) estimated his net worth at £2.8 billion in 2008.^[4]

In 1968 he married Orcillia "Strilli" Lasch, daughter of industrial tycoon Helli Lasch. He lives mainly in Johannesburg on the Brenthurst Gardens estate. He and his wife are members of the St George's Anglican Church, Parktown, Johannesburg. The Brenthurst Garden is affiliated to The Quiet Garden Trust, a Christian organisation providing places for prayer, silence and reflection. He also has a country estate in England, Waltham Place (with gardens open to the public and an associated organic Farm), at White Waltham in Berkshire.

Controversy

Russian president Vladimir Putin meeting with De Beers chairman Nicky Oppenheimer in South Africa in 2006

He commented in 2005 that the Live8 concert was misguided, and that Africa is suffering from "donation fatigue".^[5] He is the only private person granted permission by the City of London to commute within the one square mile of the city by helicopter.^[6]

Publications

• Luke Over, Nicky Oppenheimer, and Chris Tyrell (Illustrator) - Waltham Place: and its Surrounding Parish (2001) ISBN 0-9541669-0-6

See also

• List of billionaires

Footnotes

1. ^ AFP (November 04, 2011). "Oppenheimers leave the diamond race with $5bn sale". Mail and Guardian. http://mg.co.za/article/2011-11-04-oppenheimers-leave-the-diamond-race-with-5bn-sale. Retrieved November 05, 2011. 
2. ^ Tswalu site
3. ^ http://www.edwardjayepstein.com/diamond/chap12.htm
4. ^ "Nicky Oppenheimer". The Times (London). 2008-04-27. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/specials/rich_list/article3795793.ece. Retrieved 2009-10-11. 
5. ^ Terry Macalister (2005-07-02). "I am an African". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2005/jul/02/southafrica.internationalnews. Retrieved 2009-10-11. 
6. ^ "On a Rotor and Prayer". CIX Online. http://www.cix.co.uk/~hewitt/stimes4.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-11. 

External links

• Biography from De Beers
• Oppenheimer's Waltham Place Gardens and Farm
• Nicky Oppenheimer .com
• Interview in The Guardian, 2005
• Profile in The Economist, 2003
• Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People

Preceded by Harry Frederick Oppenheimer

Chairman of De Beers Consolidated Mines circa 1983-Present

Succeeded by Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Oppenheimer, Nicky
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1945-06-08
Place of birth	South Africa
Date of death
Place of death