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Organization

Anglo American

Mining company founded in 1917 by Ernest Oppenheimer; owns 85% of De Beers.

6 links, 2 backed by primary records

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Dates
1917 –
Also known as
Anglo American plc, Anglo American Corporation
Anglo American holds

Connections 6

founded by

owns a stake in

  • De Beers as of 2000 Scholarship & press 4

    In 2000 each of the two companies held more than 30 percent of the other, the New York Times reported.

  • De Beers 85%, as of 2024 Scholarship & press 1

acquired

  • De Beers 2012 Scholarship & press 1

    Bought out the Oppenheimer family's 40 percent stake.

involved in

Timeline 3 dates
  1. 1917 – Anglo American
  2. 1917 Ernest Oppenheimer founded Anglo American
  3. 2012 Anglo American acquired De Beers
Proof 8 sources
  1. Anglo American to sell De Beers, JCK. Scholarship & press
    Anglo controls 85% of De Beers, while the government of Botswana owns 15%.
    Anglo American has owned 85% of De Beers since 2012, when De Beers’ longtime owners, the Oppenheimer family, sold their 40% share.
  2. Why a Diamond Means Forever: The Creation of the Diamond Engagement Ring Tradition in the United States, 1939-1996, Jennifer Lynn Pequignot, doctoral dissertation, Auburn University (drawing on the N. W. Ayer records at the Smithsonian), 2019. Scholarship & press
    In 1917 he established the Anglo-American Corporation.
  3. Our History & Heritage Since 1888, De Beers Group. Self-published
    Sir Ernest Oppenheimer is elected to the De Beers Board after Anglo American, the company he founded, becomes a major shareholder in De Beers.
  4. Controversy Over Diamonds Made (headline as saved from the reprint; the page title is cut off), Alan Cowell, The New York Times, 22 August 2000 (reprint by Global Policy Forum), 22 Aug 2000. Scholarship & press
    Each company still holds more than 30 percent of the other's stock.
  5. Anglo American accelerates delivery of strategy to unlock significant value, Anglo American plc, 14 May 2024. Primary record
    De Beers – To be divested or demerged, to improve strategic flexibility for both De Beers and Anglo American
  6. Anglo American Full Year Results 2024, Anglo American plc, 20 Feb 2025. Primary record
    Given prevailing diamond market conditions, we have reduced our carrying value of De Beers by $2.9 billion.
  7. Q3 2026 Production Report, Anglo American plc, 20 Oct 2026. Primary record
    At De Beers, we continue to work towards a transaction in a challenging market
  8. Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa Report, Volume 4, Chapter 2: Institutional Hearing: Business and Labour, Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa (via the South African Department of Justice), 1998. Primary record
    The submission by the Anglo-American Corporation was an improvement on that of the Chamber of Mines. Anglo-American accepted that it could have been a better corporate citizen.
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