Douw Steyn

Douw Gerbrand Steyn (born December 1952), is a South African billionaire businessman, the founder of BGL Group, a UK-based insurance and financial services company, and the parent of Comparethemarket.com. Steyn has links to South African politics, having housed former South African president Nelson Mandela at the Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa.

Douw Steyn
Born
Douw Gerbrand Steyn

19 December 1952 (age 70)
NationalitySouth African
Alma materPotchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education
OccupationBusinessman
Known forfounder of BGL Group
SpouseCarolyn Steyn (m.2013)
PartnerDonne Botha (2005-2009)

According to The Sunday Times Rich List in 2021, Steyn has an estimated net worth of £2.05 billion, an increase of £1.1 billion from 2020.[1]

Early life

Douw Gerbrand Steyn was born in December 1952. He went to school in Linden, Johannesburg.[2] He received a bachelor's degree in 1978 from Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education.[3][2]

Career

Steyn began his career as a quantity surveyor at Eskom Mega Watt Park.[3]

Steyn founded BGL Group (which was founded as Budget Insurance Company in 1992), a UK-based insurance and financial services company, and the parent of Comparethemarket.com.[4]

In 2015, Steyn launched the development of a luxury private estate, Steyn City, on a 900-hectare (2,200-acre) site between Fourways and Lanseria in Johannesburg. The project initially drew R6.5 billion in investment, with a further R5.5 billion invested in 2019.[5]

In April 2020, Steyn pledged R320 million to assist the coronavirus relief efforts in South Africa through the Douw Steyn Family Trust and the companies he founded.[6][7]

Personal life

Steyn was in a relationship with Donne Botha from 2005 to 2009; and on the basis of an extravagant ceremony in London in 2007, Botha claimed in 2014 that they were married, and began a legal bid for half of his estate.[8] In August 2021, the Durban High Court ruled that they were never married, and that a punitive cost order against Botha was warranted.[8]

In February 2013, he married Carolyn Steyn at the Saxon Boutique Hotel, where guests included Graça Machel, Timothy Moloi, and Michael de Pinna.[2]

References
  1. "The Sunday Times Rich List 2021". www.thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  2. "R250m Palazzo Steyn reflects "my confidence in SA's future"". Biznews.com. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  3. Douw Steyn SA, B.Sc (QS). "Douw Steyn SA, B.Sc (QS): Executive Profile & Biography". Bloomberg. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  4. "Nocookies". The Australian. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  5. Staff Writer. "A look at Steyn City's massive new R5.5 billion plan – which includes a beach". Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  6. Steyn, Douw G. (2015). Introduction to Atmospheric Modelling. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/cbo9781316182482. ISBN 978-1-316-18248-2.
  7. "Entrepreneur Douw Steyn donates R320 million to SA pandemic fightback". The South African. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  8. Bhengu, Lwandile (5 August 2021). "'There was never a marriage' - judge rules in billionaire Douw Steyn's favour after legal bid by ex". News24. Retrieved 5 August 2021.


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