Nicky Oppenheimer

Nicky Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer (right) with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2006.
Born	(1945-06-08) 8 June 1945 South Africa
Residence	South Africa
Occupation	Businessman
Net worth	US$ 6.8 billion(November 2014)[1]
Religion	Anglican
Spouse(s)	Orcillia Lasch
Children	Jonathan Oppenheimer
Parent(s)	Harry and Bridget (née McCall) Oppenheimer

Nicholas "Nicky" F. Oppenheimer (born 8 June 1945) is a South African businessman and philanthropist. He was formerly the Chairman of De Beers diamond mining company and of its subsidiary, the Diamond Trading Company, and former Deputy Chairman of the Anglo American Corporation.

Early life

Nicholas is the son of Bridget (née McCall) and Harry Oppenheimer, and grandson of Ernest Oppenheimer, founder of Anglo American and the first generation of the family to chair (from 1929) the De Beers diamond mining company in South Africa, established by Cecil John Rhodes in 1888.^[2] Nicky Oppenheimer was educated at Harrow School and Christ Church, Oxford, where he read Philosophy, Politics and Economics and took the Oxford MA.^[3]

Business career

Nicky Oppenheimer joined the Anglo American Corporation in 1968, and was appointed a director in 1974. He became Deputy Chairman in 1983. He subsequently resigned as Deputy Chairman in 2001 but remained a non-executive director of the Anglo American board until 2011.

Oppenheimer was appointed Deputy Chairman of the then Central Selling Organisation (now Diamond Trading Company) in 1984 and Deputy Chairman of De Beers Consolidated Mines in 1985. He was appointed Chairman of the Diamond Trading Company in 1985.^[4] He was Chairman of the De Beers Group from 1998 to 2012, at which point he retired when the family stake was sold to Anglo American.^[5]

Philanthropy

The Oppenheimer family has directed much of its philanthropic efforts towards preserving the heritage and cultural importance of the Southern African region, as well as to broader community upliftment in the areas of education, health, nature conservation and the arts. Nicky Oppenheimer and his son Jonathan Oppenheimer established the Brenthurst Foundation in 2005 as a way to contribute to the debate around strategies and policies for strengthening Africa's economic performance and enabling inclusive and sustainable development. The family has also long been involved in environmental and conservation issues.^[6] The Oppenheimer family partnered with De Beers to establish the Diamond Route in 2006 to maximize the potential of their properties for conservation, research and environmental awareness purposes. The Diamond Route links 8 sites across northern South Africa, stretching from Namaqualand on the west coast, to Kimberley, north to Tswalu in the Kalahari, and to the Brenthurst Gardens in Johannesburg, eastwards to Ezemvelo Nature Reserve and northwards to the Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve in Limpopo Province.^[7]

Awards

In 2003, the Technikon Witwatersrand in South Africa bestowed Nicky Oppenheimer with a Doctorate in Technology, honoris causa.^[8] He was the first recipient of such an honorary doctorate by the Technikon to a person in the public and private sector. He has also received the Presidential Order of Honor (2004) from the former President of the Republic of Botswana, Mr. Festus Mogae,^[9] and an Honorary Fellowship (2009) from the London Business School.^[10]

Personal life

In 1968, he married Orcillia "Strilli" Lasch, daughter of industrial tycoon Helli Lasch; both are Anglican.^[11]

Publications

• Waltham Place: and its Surrounding Parish (2001) by Luke Over, Nicky Oppenheimer, and Chris Tyrrell (illustrator); ISBN 0-9541669-0-6 ^[12]

See also

• Harry Oppenheimer
• Ernest Oppenheimer
• Mining industry of South Africa
• De Beers

Footnotes

External links

• Biography from De Beers
• Oppenheimer's Waltham Place Gardens and Farm
• Interview in The Guardian, 2005
• Profile in The Economist, 2003