When you think of billionaire business owners, the names that spring to mind are probably pretty predictable.
You might think of Richard Branson or Elon Musk. You will almost certainly think of Bill Gates and Rupert Murdoch, and other billionaires in pop-culture fields like the media and entertainment industries.
One name that might not be so familiar is Beny Steinmetz. While Steinmetz is a billionaire with extensive wealth and success, he’s also deeply private and doesn’t like to flaunt his achievements.
As such, many individuals haven’t even heard of this billionaire diamond mining tycoon turned global philanthropist.
Still, that doesn’t mean that he’s not important. His work has been vital in changing the diamond mining industry for the better. Through his charitable endeavours, he has also worked to support young people and those at risk throughout Israel to live happy, exciting and fulfilling lives.
If you’ve not heard of Beny Steinmetz and want to learn more about his work and how he became a successful business leader, then keep reading.
We’ll explore the work Beny has done and how he took his family’s business and turned it into a global empire.
Where Did It All Start?
Beny Steinmetz was the fourth child of legendary diamond pioneer Rubin Steinmetz, and he entered into the family business after spending 3 years in military service.
At the age of just 21 years old, Beny moved out of Israel and away from everything he knew to start his career in Antwerp, the diamond capital of the world. There he learned his trade and worked to transform the family business into a thriving diamond enterprise.
How Did He Start His Own Business?
In 1977, Beny decided to relocate from Antwerp back to Israel and start his own company so that he could make the most of his extensive business acumen and knowledge of the diamond trade.
Beny found that there were many lucrative diamond and natural resources opportunities in Africa, and started buying mines in South Africa, Angola, Botswana and other major African nations.
Soon, he had an extensive portfolio of natural resources assets, and he combined these to form the beginning of BSG Resources (BSGR), a multinational corporation operating in more than 25 countries around the world.
As the group grew, Beny expanded it into other markets beyond natural resources, including real estate and capital markets.
The result was an international company with extensive reach and the ability to operate across a range of different sectors and industries.
With Beny at the helm, the company became one of the most successful in the world, and worked to produce some of the finest diamonds and other natural resources we have today.
Thanks to Beny’s hard work, determination and business skills, BSG was a resounding success, and the company helped him to amass a personal wealth in the billions.
What’s Happening Now?
Today, Beny remains on the board of directors at BSGR in an advisory capacity, helping the group to continue to advance in the natural resources market. However, his main focus has moved away from his business ventures now.
Beny is also a diligent philanthropist, and alongside his wife Agnes, he runs the Agnes and Beny Steinmetz Foundation, which is now his primary focus. The organisation aims to improve the lives of young Israelis by providing them with access to top-quality education, healthcare, culture and social support.
As part of this focus, the foundation provides over 100 scholarships every year to the prestigious Netanya Academic College in Israel. It also supports a range of programs that work with at-risk young people from disadvantaged communities and provides them with the support they need to prosper.
Alongside its work supporting young people, the charity also donates to a diverse range of other important causes, including the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers, the Israel Cancer Association, and a wide range of healthcare providers across the country.
Beny and Agnes are also both significant supporters of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and the charity has sponsored the creation of a wing in the building named the Agnes and Beny Steinmetz Wing for Architecture and Design.
The wing features two galleries, one for art and one for architecture, and aims to support artists from around the world, including homegrown Israeli creators.
Both Agnes and Beny are active in their philanthropy work and remain committed to using their foundation and other charitable ventures to improve the lives of the less fortunate throughout Israel.
While Beny does still use his business acumen to advise and support his former group, today, his main focus is firmly on his charitable endeavours. At the age of 66, he now works primarily to change the world and make it better for all those who live in it, but he does still share his entrepreneurial skills and insight with others at times.
He is a French and Israeli citizen and loves to travel, explore new things and spend time with his beloved family. Alongside his wife, who was his teenage love, he also four beloved children, who were the inspiration for his foundation’s work and are working to carry on his legacy.
To Summarise
For almost 50 years, Beny Steinmetz has worked diligently to develop a reputation for excellence in the global business landscape. He has also been committed to supporting the less fortunate and generally making the world a better place.
His work has led to the global success of his business and helped him to change the lives of thousands of people throughout Israel and worldwide. He has personally contributed significantly to Israel’s culture and worked hard to change the way the country is perceived and treated internationally.
So, if you’re a business leader or a visionary who wants to learn valuable life lessons, then you could do well to research Beny Steinmetz. His work has changed the course of history and he is now an influential figure in the diamond mining, enterprise and philanthropic markets, among many others.
This brief guide offers an initial overview of his life and how he came to achieve his success, so you can see how incredible his life has been, how much he has achieved and what you could potentially learn from him.
