A ranking published by Africa Trendy reveals the five richest people in Angola, where former President José Eduardo dos Santos leads in a fortune valued at about US$20 billion
The former statesman’s net worth was collected during his time in power, between 1979 and 2017, when he was replaced by João Lourenço as president of the country and, consequently, in the leadership of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), founded in 1956.
José Eduardo dos Santos, born August 28, 1942 and petrochemical engineer of formation is the most influential and richest person in Angola, and one of the most powerful men in Africa.
In second place on the podium, the eldest daughter of José Eduardo dos Santos appears. Isabel dos Santos, considered by Forbes magazine to be the richest woman in Africa, has a fortune valued at $3.4 billion.
Em road to several controversies in recent years, Isabel dos Santos is facing several questions about her fortune, and this week the Angolan Attorney General’s Office has admitted issuing an arrest warrant against the businesswoman, considered one of the 100 most influential women in the world, appointed by the BBC.
Closing the podium comes Lopo do Nascimento. The former Angolan prime minister (1975-1978), of mbundu ethnicity, later became minister of territorial administration, but his passing by the Government did not go as he might expect and ended up being replaced by Paulo Kassoma. He publicly declared that he had abandoned politics in 2013.
His personal fortune is valued at about $750 million, but very little is known about how one of the most important figures in the history of the MPLA achieved this fortune.
Generals Higino Carneiro (with a fortune of 400 million) and Hélder Vieira Dias (with 350 million) are the millionaires who follow the list. Both were trusted men of José Rodrigues dos Santos for several years.
Higino Carneiro is currently the governor of luanda province and “Kopelipa”, the war name of Hélder Vieira Dias, is the director of the National Office of Reconstruction. He was referred to several times as being “the highest and most reliable member” of José Eduardo dos Santos’ team of advisors.
Angola’s economy is predominantly driven by oil, but the current government has already made it known that it intends to change this situation by promoting economic diversity with a focus on agriculture, tourism and other natural resources such as gold or diamond exploration.
Africa Trendy is a digital media company for opinion-based rankings and crowdsourcing on just about everything.
