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1、1SwappinggemsforcashWhatnextforSouthAfrica'sforemostminingfamily?MOSTpeoplewouldbeoverjoyedtopocket$5.1billion.ButNickyOppenheimer,thechairmanofDeBeers,saidthatitwaswithaheavyheartthathisfamilyhaddecidedtosellitsremaining40%stakeintheworld'sbiggestdiamondminertoAngloAmer
2、ican,aminingbehemoth.ThedealmarkstheendofaneraforSouthAfrica'sforemostminingdynasty.TheOppenheimershavebeeninthediamondbusinessformorethanacentury,includingover80yearswithDeBeers.Nicky'sgrandfatherErnestsettledinSouthAfricain1902,havingbeenpostedtothediamond-boomtownofKi
3、mberleyattheageof22asanagentforaLondon-basedfirmofgemtraders.By1917hehadsetuphisownminingcompany,AngloAmerican.AfewyearslaterhewoncontrolofDeBeers,adiamondminerthathadbeenfoundedin1880byCecilRhodes,aBritish-borncolonialist.BythetimeRhodesdiedin1902,DeBeerscontrolled90%of
4、theworld'sdiamondproduction.Rhodes'simmensefortunestillpaysforpeoplelikeBillClintontostudyatOxford.Since1929,whenSirErnest(knightedforwarservicesin1921)tookoveraschairman,theOppenheimershaveledDeBeersalmostwithoutinterruption,massagingthepriceofdiamondsbyhoardingthemando
5、ccasionallysellingpartofthefirm'sstockpile.Thefamilyhaswieldedpoliticalinfluence,too,mostlybankrollingliberalcauses.BothErnestandhissonHarryservedinSouthAfrica’sparliament:Ernestfor14yearsintherun-uptothesecondworldwar,andHarryfornineyearsasamemberoftheanti-apartheidoppo
6、sition.Oflate,however,thefamily'sinfluencehaswaned.SomewonderwhetherNickyandhissonJonathanhavethesamedriveandacumenastheirswashbucklingforebears.AndAngloAmerican,thefirmtheirfamilyfounded(andinwhichitnowhasastakeof2%),moveditsheadquarterstoLondonin1999.NickyOppenheimerin
7、siststhatthefamilywillstayconnectedwithSouthAfrica:theyarestillbasedinJohannesburg.WhatwilltheOppenheimersdowiththeirnewpileofcash?Thedealwilltakemonthstocomplete,sotheyhavetimetoponder.Underitsterms,theyarebarredfromdabblingindiamondsfortwoyears.Butotherpossibilitiesabo
8、und.Thefamilyhastwoinvestmentarms.One,calledStockdaleStreetCapital,investslargelyinmedium-sizedfirmsinS
