| Intro | Egyptian billionaire businessman | ||||
| A.K.A. | Nassef Onsi Sawiris | ||||
| Is |
Businessperson Entrepreneur |
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| From | Egypt | ||||
| Type | Business | ||||
| Gender | male | ||||
| Birth |
1961, Egypt, Egypt |
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| Age | 60 years | ||||
| Family |
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Nassef Onsi Sawiris (Coptic: ⲛⲁⲥ̄ϥ ⲟⲛⲥⲓ ⲥⲉⲩⲏⲣⲟⲥ; Egyptian Arabic: ناصف أنسى ساويرس; born in 1961) is an Egyptian billionaire businessman, the youngest of Onsi Sawiris’ three sons (his brothers are Naguib and Samih). As of April 2019, his net worth was estimated to be $7.5 billion, and the fourth richest African in 2019, according to Forbes.
Early life
Nassef Sawiris received his secondary education from the Deutsche Evangelische Oberschule Kairo. He then continued at University of Chicago where he received a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1982.
Career
Since 1982, he has held senior positions with several organizations.
He joined the Orascom group in 1982 and oversaw the construction activities of Orascom Construction following the transfer of management control from his father Onsi Sawiris in 1995. He became CEO of Orascom Construction Industries following the company’s incorporation in 1998. He served on the board of Besix, following OCI SAE acquiring a 50% stake in the company in 2004, and a member of the enumeration and nominations committee until 2017.
He was on the board of directors of the Cairo and Alexandria Stock Exchanges from 2004 to 2007, and was also a board director at the Dubai International Financial Exchange DIFX from July 2008. to June 2010
In January 2013, he became CEO OCI NV when they acquired the former parent company OCI SAE. In 2015, he was elected a board member of LafargeHolcim, having served on Lafarge SA’s board since 2008.
In October 2015, it was reported that Sawiris had acquired a stake in Adidas AG via his investment company NNS Holding Sàrl Luxembourg. In 2016 he was appointed as supervisory director of Adidas AG, Herzogenaurach, Germany,
It was announced in July 2018 that Sawiris would replace Tony Xia as chairman of Aston Villa F.C. following the purchase of a 55% controlling stake by NSWE, a company jointly owned and controlled by Sawiris’ group NNS and American billionaire Wes Edens.
Other appointments include member of Cleveland Clinic’s international leadership board, and in 2013 became a member of the University of Chicago’s board of trustees, for which he setup the ‘Onsi Sawiris Scholars Program’ in honor of his father in March 2015.
Personal life
Sawiris is married and lives with his wife and four children, lives in London, and maintains a residence in New York City. He is Christian.