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 Southern Sun Estate before reportedly purchasing the Houghton Estate for him.

Douw Steyn
Born
Douw Gerbrand Steyn

December 1952 (age 68)
NationalitySouth African
Alma materPotchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education
OccupationBusinessman
Known forfounder of BGL Group
Net worth GB£950 million (Sunday Times Rich List, 2020)

According to The Sunday Times Rich List in 2020, Steyn has an estimated net worth of £950 million, an increase of £50 million from 2019.[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 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

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

References
  1. Times, The Sunday. "Rich List 2020: profiles 101-199=, featuring Sir Paul McCartney and Joanne Rowling". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  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. Writer, Staff. "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.


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