diamond magnate

Beny Steinmetz’s African business ventures, where he’s good at taking risks

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This article is part of the dossier:

Beny Steinmetz: ‘Africa, Soros and me’

By Mathieu Olivier, special correspondent in Geneva

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Posted on March 17, 2021 19:27

Israeli billionaire Beny Steinmetz arrives to a courthouse, in Geneva © Beny Steinmetz arrives to a courthouse to defend himself against corruption and forgery charges in connection with mining contracts in Guinea, in Geneva, Switzerland January 11, 2021. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
Beny Steinmetz arrives to a courthouse to defend himself against corruption and forgery charges in connection with mining contracts in Guinea, in Geneva, Switzerland January 11, 2021. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

After being sentenced to five years in prison on a bribery conviction, Beny Steinmetz continues to wage a legal battle of global proportions. Who is this Franco-Israeli businessman who is on first name terms with the world’s most powerful leaders? The Africa Report had access to an exclusive interview with Steinmetz in Geneva.

This is part 2 of a 4-part series.

It is easy to imagine uber-rich businessmen climbing the red carpeted steps that lead up to Beny Steinmetz’s hotel suite. Located on the shores of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Swiss city’s old town, Hotel Métropole seems untouched by time. Some find its decor outdated. Others are paying for an identity that has changed little since the hotel opened in 1854. At the top of the stairs, a butler welcomes the sparse stream of masked guests staying at the hotel today, 21 January.

Not so long ago, bankers and investors booked rooms here because of its relative privacy. People would cross paths and recognise each other, but pretend otherwise. More than anything else, people would scrutinise one another, watching the procession of the powerful. But in the Covid-19 pandemic era, the lobby remains depressingly empty and the restaurant deserted at lunchtime in

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