13 Facts About Nicky Oppenheimer

Nicholas F Oppenheimer was born on 8 June 1945 and is a South African billionaire businessman.

Nicky Oppenheimer 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.

Nicky Oppenheimer is the third richest man in Africa with an estimated net worth of US$12.3 Billion as of 2025 according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Nicky Oppenheimer was educated at Ludgrove School, Harrow School and Christ Church, Oxford, where he read Philosophy, Politics and Economics, earning an Oxford MA.

Nicky Oppenheimer joined Anglo American in 1968, was appointed a director in 1974, then became deputy chairman in 1983.

Nicky Oppenheimer resigned in 2001, remaining a non-executive director until 2011.

Nicky Oppenheimer was appointed deputy chairman of the then Central Selling Organisation in 1984, and deputy chairman of De Beers Consolidated Mines in 1985.

Nicky Oppenheimer was appointed chairman of the Diamond Trading Company in 1985.

Nicky Oppenheimer was ranked as the richest person in South Africa on Forbes list of The World's Billionaires for 2019, with a fortune reported as US$7.3 billion and, again, on its 2020 list, with a reported fortune of US$7.6 billion in August 2020.

The Nicky 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.

The Nicky Oppenheimer family partnered with De Beers to establish the Diamond Route in 2006 to maximise the potential of their properties for conservation, research and environmental awareness purposes.

Nicky Oppenheimer received the Presidential Order of Honour from the former President of Botswana, Festus Mogae, and an honorary fellowship from the London Business School.

Nicky Oppenheimer's father was born Jewish and converted to Anglicanism.