| Nicky Oppenheimer | |
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Oppenheimer (right) with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2006.
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| Born | 8 June 1945 South Africa |
| Residence | South Africa |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Net worth | US$6.8 bn (Forbes 2014) |
| Spouse(s) | Orcillia Lasch |
| Children | Jonathan Oppenheimer |
| Parents |
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Nicholas “Nicky” F. Oppenheimer (born 8 June 1945) is a South African businessman and philanthropist of German Jewish descent. 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. Nicky Oppenheimer was educated at Harrow School and Christ Church, Oxford, where he read Philosophy, Politics and Economics and took the Oxford MA.
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. 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.
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