Oppenheimer, Sir Ernest

Oppenheimer, Sir Ernest

▪ South African industrialist
born May 22, 1880, Friedberg, Hesse-Nassau, Ger.
died Nov. 25, 1957, Johannesburg, S.Af.
 German-born industrialist, financier, and one of the most successful leaders in the mining industry in South Africa and Rhodesia.

      Oppenheimer became a junior clerk at the age of 16 with Dunkelsbuhlers & Company, London diamond brokers. In 1902 he moved to Kimberley, S.Af., where he served as a Dunkelsbuhlers' representative. In 1917, with considerable backing from the financier J.P. Morgan, he formed the Anglo American Corporation of South Africa, Ltd., to exploit the east Witwatersrand goldfield. Two years later he formed Consolidated Diamond Mines of South West Africa, Ltd. (reformed as the Namdeb Diamond Corp. in 1994). This diamond prospecting corporation was so successful that he gained control of the De Beers Consolidated Mines (De Beers S.A.), which once dominated the world diamond market, and in 1930 established The Diamond Corporation, Ltd.

      In 1929 Oppenheimer formed the Rhodesian Anglo American Corporation to exploit the rich copper deposits in Northern Rhodesia. His last project was the pioneering of new goldfields in the Orange Free State, S.Af.

      Oppenheimer served as mayor of Kimberley from 1912 to 1915 and was a member of the Union of South Africa Parliament from 1924 to 1938. A philanthropist and an outstanding figure in South African life, he furthered Commonwealth studies at Oxford University. He was knighted in 1921.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • OPPENHEIMER, SIR ERNEST — (1880–1957), South African financier. Born in Friedberg, Germany, he went to London at the age of 16 to work for a firm of diamond merchants, which in 1902 sent him to represent them in Kimberley. He was very successful in the diamond business… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Oppenheimer, Sir Ernest — (1880–1957)    South African diamond magnate. Born in Germany, Oppenheimer worked for a London diamond firm that sent him to the Kimberley mines in 1902. He built up the De Beers Consolidated Mines as the dominant factor in the world diamond… …   Who’s Who in Jewish History after the period of the Old Testament

  • Ernest Oppenheimer — Sir Ernest Oppenheimer (22 May 1880 – 25 November 1957) was a diamond and gold mining entrepreneur financier and philanthropist, who controlled De Beers and founded the Anglo American Corporation of South Africa.He was born in Friedberg, Germany …   Wikipedia

  • Ernest Oppenheimer — Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, richtig Ernst Oppenheimer (* 22. Mai 1880 in Friedberg (Hessen); † 25. November 1957 in Johannesburg (Südafrika)) war Begründer des Diamantenkartells unter der Firma De Beers. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Leben 2 Das… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Oppenheimer — as a surname may refer to: Alan Oppenheimer (born 1930), film actor Andrés Oppenheimer (born 1951), Argentine author and journalist known for his analysis of Latin American politics Bernard Oppenheimer (1866–1921), South African and British… …   Wikipedia

  • Oppenheimer Diamond — The Oppenheimer Diamond, a nearly perfectly formed 253.7 carat (50.74 g) yellow diamond crystal, is one of the largest uncut diamonds in the world. It measures approximately 20 × 20 millimeters. It was discovered in the Dutoitspan Mine, Kimberley …   Wikipedia

  • Oppenheimer Baronets — The Oppenheimer Baronetcy, of Stoke Poges in the County of Buckingham, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 18 January 1921 for Bernard Oppenheimer, Chairman of the South African Diamond Corporation. As of 2010… …   Wikipedia

  • Ernest Rutherford — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Rutherford. Ernest Rutherford Naissance 30 août  …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Oppenheimer — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Oppenheimer est un patronyme d origine allemande, dérivé de la ville d Oppenheim dans le palatinat du Rhin. Il est ou a été porté par : Samuel… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Oppenheimer (diamant) — Le diamant, tel qu exposé au Smithsonian Institution Le diamant Oppenheimer est un diamant brut jaune aux formes remarquablement régulières, exposé au Smithsonian Institution. Son poids de 253,7 carats en fait un des plus gros diamants brut… …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”