Drea Knufken
Ethiopia’s main oligarch is also one of the world’s richest Arabs. This truly global billionaire is the son of a Yemeni father, was raised in Saudi Arabia, and has significant investments in Sweden, Morocco, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and of course Ethiopia, where he funds the national soccer team. His conglomerate, made up of four holding and operating companies, employs around 40,000 people worldwide and has a tagline: “Investment with a Mission to be SECOND-TO-NONE.” He has major holdings in oil, construction, real estate, and a gold mine; other companies include an air transport company, a tour company, Addis’s Home Depot (not affiliated with the Western one), and a university.
