South Africa- Nicky Oppenheimer is a South African entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the former Chairman of De Beers diamond mining company and Diamond Trading Company. He started his career at Anglo American Corporation in 1968 and was promoted to director in 1974 before becoming deputy chairman in 1983. In 1984 he became Deputy Chairman of the then Central Selling Organisation (now Diamond Trading Company). In 1985 he became the Deputy Chairman of De Beers Consolidated Mines.

In 1985 he was appointed the Chairman of the Diamond Trading Company. He served as the Chairman of the De Beers Group between 1998 and 2012 when he retired.

Oppenheimer sold his family';;s 40 percent stake in De Beers, the world';;s biggest diamond producer, to mining company Anglo American in 2012 for $5.2 billion in cash

He maintains private equity investments in Africa, Asia, the U.S. and Europe through London-based Stockdale Street and Johannesburg-based Tana Africa Capital. His net worth is estimated to be $7.05 billion and he is the richest man in South Africa.