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Jonathan Oppenheimer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 November 1969 South Africa |
| Education | Harrow School Christ Church, Oxford |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse | Jennifer Ward (d. 2017) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Nicky Oppenheimer Orcillia "Strilli" Lasch |
Jonathan M. E. Oppenheimer (born 18 November 1969) is a South African billionaire businessman and conservationist, and the executive chairman of Oppenheimer Generations, [1] a former executive of De Beers and a former vice-president of his family's firm, Anglo American plc.
Jonathan is the son of former De Beers chairman Nicky Oppenheimer; he is the great-grandson of Anglo-American founder Ernest Oppenheimer, who was the first generation of the family to chair (from 1929) the De Beers diamond mining company in South Africa, founded by Cecil Rhodes in 1888. [2]
He was educated at Harrow School and Christ Church, Oxford. [3] He played first-class cricket for Oxford University Cricket Club. [4]
Jonathan Oppenheimer began his career working at N M Rothschild & Sons, then moved to Anglo American, where he became senior vice-president, in 1999. After leaving Anglo American in 2000, he filled numerous senior roles at De Beers diamond mining company in Southern Africa and London until 2012. He was the third generation of his family to lead De Beers. He was also involved in the transactions to de-list De Beers, in 2001, and to sell the Oppenheimer family stake to Anglo American, in 2012. This sale concluded 85 years of the Oppenheimer family's controlling position in the world's diamond trade. [5] He is currently the director of E. Oppenheimer & Son Ltd. [6]
In 2003, Jonathan and Nicky Oppenheimer published The Brenthurst Initiative, a policy paper on economic development across South Africa. This led to the launch of The Brenthurst Foundation the following year. [7]
Alongside his father he founded Oppenheimer Generations, [8] with interests in various companies and non-profits such as the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance. [9] As Executive Chairman of Oppenheimer Generations, [10] Jonathan is actively involved in all aspects of the family’s private, commercial, and thought leadership activities, including: Oppenheimer Partners, Oppenheimer Generations Asia, Nianova, Shangani Holistic, the Brenthurst Foundation, Oppenheimer Generations Foundation, Oppenheimer Generations – Research & Conservation.[ citation needed ]
Oppenheimer has been involved in many aspects of his family’s activities, including establishing the Brenthurst Foundation, a Johannesburg-based think-tank which examines ways to drive Africa's sustainable growth, [11] and the formation of Tana Africa Capital, a joint venture between the Oppenheimer family and Temasek Holdings (Singapore) to pursue African consumer goods business opportunities. [12]
He has sat on boards and advisory panels, including the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Economy (Malawi),[ citation needed ] established by the Brenthurst Foundation, and Umicore, a listed specialty chemicals company, as a non-executive director.[ citation needed ]
Oppenheimer purchased Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, immediately ended hunting, and improved conditions for wild animals found there. World Wide Fund for Nature recognized Oppenheimer's conservation work in 2007.[ citation needed ]
In January 2018, Jonathan joined the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace [13] (CEIP).
On 23 March 2020 Nicky and Jonathan Oppenheimer announced their commitment to tackle the unfolding health crisis in South Africa, and highlighted the exceptional challenges that small businesses were facing. They pledged to donate R1 billion to extend a financial lifeline to employees of small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs).[ citation needed ]
On 31 March 2020 the South African Future Trust (SAFT) was established with this initial donation through the Oppenheimer Generations Foundation, and it has subsequently attracted further donations from foundations, corporates and individuals to the value of just over R134 million. The Trust’s immediate aim was to extend direct financial support to SMME employees at risk of losing their jobs or suffering serious loss of income due to the pandemic and subsequent national lockdown. [14]
Oppenheimer was married to Jennifer Ward until her death in 2017. [15] He has three children. [16] In 2022 Jonathan re-married.[ citation needed ]
The De Beers Group is a South African-British corporation that specializes in the diamond industry, including mining, exploitation, retail, inscription, grading, trading and industrial diamond manufacturing. The company is active in open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial and coastal mining. It operates in 35 countries with mining taking place in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Canada. It also has an artisanal mining business, Gemfair, which operates in Sierra Leone.
Harry Frederick Oppenheimer OMSG was a prominent South African businessman, industrialist and philanthropist. Oppenheimer was often ranked as one of the wealthiest people in the world, and was considered South Africa's foremost industrialist for four decades. In 2004 he was voted 60th in the SABC3's Great South Africans.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) is a nonpartisan international affairs think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., with operations in Europe, South Asia, East Asia, and the Middle East, as well as the United States. Founded in 1910 by Andrew Carnegie, the organization describes itself as being dedicated to advancing cooperation between countries, reducing global conflict, and promoting active international engagement between the United States and countries around the world. It engages leaders from multiple sectors and across the political spectrum.
Patrice Tlhopane Motsepe is a South African billionaire businessman and football administrator. Since March 2021, he has been president of the Confederation of African Football. He is the founder and executive chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, which has interests in gold, ferrous metals, base metals, and platinum. He sits on several company boards, including being the non-executive chairman of Harmony Gold, the world's 12th largest gold mining company, and the deputy chairman of Sanlam. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum.
Oppenheimer is a toponymic surname, derived from the German town Oppenheim, common among Germans and Ashkenazi Jews.
Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, was a diamond and gold mining entrepreneur, financier and philanthropist, who controlled De Beers and founded the Anglo American Corporation of South Africa.
Alfred Beit was an Anglo-German gold and diamond magnate in South Africa, and a major donor and profiteer of infrastructure development on the African continent. He also donated much money to university education and research in several countries, and was the "silent partner" who structured the capital flight from post-Boer War South Africa to Rhodesia. Beit's assets were structured around the so-called Corner House Group, which through its holdings in various companies controlled 37 per cent of the gold produced at the Witwatersrand's goldfields in Johannesburg in 1913.
Nicholas F. Oppenheimer is a South African billionaire businessman. He was formerly the chairman of De Beers diamond mining company and of its subsidiary, the Diamond Trading Company, and former deputy chairman of Anglo American. He is the third richest man in Africa.
Anglo American plc is a British multinational mining company with headquarters in London, England. It is the world's largest producer of platinum, with around 40% of world output, as well as being a major producer of diamonds, copper, nickel, iron ore, polyhalite and steelmaking coal. The company has operations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America.
The Carnegie Corporation of New York is a philanthropic fund established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to support education programs across the United States, and later the world.
Parktown is a wealthy suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, and is the first suburb north of the inner city. It is affectionately known as one of the Parks, others including Parkview, Parkwood, Westcliff, Parktown North, Parkhurst and Forest Town. Parktown is one of Johannesburg's largest suburbs, neighbouring Hillbrow, Braamfontein and Milpark to the South; Berea and Houghton to the East; Killarney and Forest Town to the North, and Westcliff, Melville and Richmond to the West. Originally established by the Randlords in the 1890s, Parktown is now home to many businesses, hospitals, schools, churches and restaurants, whilst still maintaining quiet residential areas. It is also home to three of the five campuses of the University of the Witwatersrand including the education campus, medical school and Wits Business School. It is located in Region F of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.
Randlords were the capitalists who controlled the diamond and gold mining industries in South Africa from the 1870s up to World War I.
Julian Ogilvie Thompson was a South African businessman who was chairman of De Beers and the Anglo American mining company.
Sir David Pieter de Villiers Graaff, 1st Baronet was a South African cold storage magnate and politician. Graaff revolutionized the cold storage industry in Africa. He founded the Imperial Cold Storage and Supply Company in 1899, and aggressively ran it until he left to serve in government. Graaff grew the company into one of the largest in Africa. Graaff's wealth soared, at the turn of the century. During World War I he personally part financed the South African war effort and for this he was knighted as well as for services at the Paris Peace Conference 1919.
The Brenthurst Initiative was a 2003 policy paper on Black Economic Empowerment in South Africa by Jonathan and Nicky Oppenheimer that called for tax incentives to encourage economic growth and black wealth creation.
The Brenthurst Library is a private repository of Africana in Parktown, Johannesburg built by Harry Oppenheimer in 1984 as he started to disengage from the family's mining interests. It houses a collection of some 20,000 volumes, including rare manuscripts and documents. Among these were the only complete record of the proceedings of the treason trial of Nelson Mandela, until the papers were handed over to the Mandela estate in November 2008.
Brenthurst Gardens is a 45-acre (180,000 m2) private garden in Johannesburg, South Africa attached to Brenthurst Estate, the residence of the Oppenheimer family, led by Nicky Oppenheimer.
The Brenthurst Foundation is a Johannesburg-based think-tank established by the Oppenheimer family in 2004 to support the Brenthurst Initiative in seeking ways to fund African development and to organize conferences on African competitiveness.
The Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award is awarded annually by the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust. It is considered the top award for research on the African continent.
Raymond Harry Oppenheimer CBE was an English businessman, golfer and Bull Terrier enthusiast. His family was wealthy from its interests in South African diamond mining. During World War II he became a wing commander in the Royal Air Force. In 1951 he was captain of the British team in the Walker Cup.