TRAILBLASER
Douw
Steyn
JOB TITLE : CEO AND FOUNDER COMPANY : BGL AND COMPARETHEMARKET NET WORTH : £ 2 + BILLION
Living an envied billionaires lifestyle at his palatial residence in rural South Africa , Douw Steyn is the insurance mogul behind the UK ’ s BGL Group and Comparethemarket .
Notoriously private , despite the outward shows of opulence , Steyn , was recently featured in the Sunday Times Rich List and has an estimated net worth of US $ 2.6bn . An investor in property as well as the insurance industry , Steyn is also the proprietor of the exclusive Shambala Game Reserve in South Africa ’ s Limpopo province .
Reports suggest that an incredible 50 % of his wealth was accumulated following a highly successful marketing campaign featuring the fictional chief meerkat , Aleksandr Orlov , who coined the phrase , ‘ Simples ’ and propelled Comparethemarket to the top of the global watch lists .
Early life Not much has been made public about Steyn ’ s early life , but details suggest he was born in Johannesburg , South Africa in December 1952 , and he attended schools in Linden . Records show that in 1978 he earned his bachelor ' s degree from Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education .
16 November 2021