Isabel dos Santos is an Angolan investor considered by Forbes to be the richest woman not only in Angola but the whole of Africa. In 2013, according to research by Forbes, her net worth had reached more than three billion US dollars, making her Africa’s first billionaire woman. She is the daughter of Angola’s President José Eduardo dos Santos, who has ruled the country since 1979. Let’s know more about her through this article.
What is Isabel dos Santos famous for?
- An Angolan businesswoman.
- The richest woman in Africa.
Where is Isabel dos Santos born?
Recalling her early life, Isabel was born in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR. She was the oldest daughter of Angola’s former President José Eduardo dos Santos and his first wife Tatiana Kukanova. She is Angolan by nationality and mixed ethnicity.
Where did Isabel dos Santos go for education?
Concerning her education details, Isabel attended the all-girls boarding school in Kent, Cobham Hall. Then, She studied electrical engineering at King’s College in London.
How Isabel dos Santos become a businesswoman?
- Moving towards her career, Isabel had worked for a recycling company from Germany and then moved forward to start a truck business in her early days. After the development of walkie-talkie, she was interested in the field of telecommunications. She had also worked for Urbana 2000 as an engineer project manager.
- With expanding interests in business, she created several holdings over time and made significant investments in large enterprises. Her current holdings include Unitel, Santoro Finance, Condis, Esperanza and many others. Publico, a Portuguese newspaper, described Isabel in 2007 as ‘good businesswoman, very dynamic and intelligent, who’s also professional and friendly’.
- In 2015, She owned a share of satellite-TV operator ZAP, that had in December 2013 acquired the rights to distribute Forbes in some Portuguese speaking countries, namely Portugal, Angola, and Mozambique. It had been announced that most of the content would be produced by a local team, complemented by content for the North American edition, therefore potentially allowing influence on Forbes content. It was initially planned that the first edition of the Portuguese language Forbes would be published during the second quarter of 2014.
- Financial Times, a British newspaper also wrote about her in 2013, that ‘even some critics acknowledge Isabel dos Santos’s independent prowess as a businesswoman’.
- At present, she also serves as the president of the Angola Red Cross. With impressive stakes in several companies, she has acquired her wealth and has become one of the richest people not only in Africa but also across the world.
- Her astonishing business skills undoubtedly make her one of the most successful personalities of the 21st century.
What legal issue has Isabel dos Santos faced?
Since 2018, The Angolan Government has been trying to prosecute her for past corruption crimes that may have led to her ongoing recession crisis. However, she remains in exile in Portugal.
On 30th December 2019, the Luanda Provincial Court ordered the freezing of her Angolan bank accounts and the seizure of her stake in local companies, including Unitel and Banco de Fomento Angola [de]. In the meantime, she is under investigation in Portugal and has since assumed the UAE as her official country of residence.
On 11th January 2020, the Angolan government announced that it is preparing the legal battle for the confiscation of her assets in Portugal, a process that is already in operation in the form of letters rogatory sent to Portugal to stop the transfer of funds from Portuguese Commercial Bank to a Russian bank.
On 19th January 2020, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) published a detailed report about the enrichments of her wealth during the years and called it Luanda Leaks. She claimed her success always as “self-made”; however, Luanda Leaks and 36 media partners revealed another story and the true origins of her fortune.
Is Isabel dos Santos married?
Reflecting on her personal life, Isabel was married to Sindika Dokolo in 2002. The pair met in her college and connected each other. Presently, the pair proud to be three kids and enjoying their marriage life lavishly.
How much is Isabel dos Santos worth?
Being a businesswoman, Isabel earns the sum of a huge amount of money and fame from her industry. Based on some online reports, her estimated net worth said to be $3.7 billion at present. However, her salary is yet to be disclosed.
How tall is Isabel dos Santos?
Observing her body physics, Isabel has a decent height and weight with dark brown hair and black eyes. Her other body information is yet to be disclosed. In the case of disclosed, we will let you know.
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