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Paul van Zuydam has become South Africa’s newest dollar billionaire, joining the ranks of the country’s wealthiest individuals tracked by Forbes.
According to Forbes’ real-time estimates in December 2025, van Zuydam’s net worth stands at $1.7 billion (about R28.4 billion), ranking him as the world’s 2,186th richest person.
His addition lifts South Africa’s total number of billionaires on the global list to eight, alongside prominent names such as Johann Rupert and Nicky Oppenheimer.
At 87, Van Zuydam is the owner and chairman of French cookware maker Le Creuset, a company he acquired in the late 1980s when it was struggling financially.
He transformed the brand into a global household name, best known for its hand-finished cast-iron cookware and stringent quality standards at its foundry in Fresnoy-le-Grand, northern France.
Doubling output
Under his leadership, Le Creuset concentrated production in France, invested heavily in automation, and broadened its product range.
Manufacturing capacity was doubled, output rose to more than 20,000 pieces a day, and the company expanded aggressively into the United States and Asia.
The business also diversified into ceramics and other cookware categories while keeping its signature cast-iron manufacturing rooted in France. Since 2001, Le Creuset has grown without taking on external debt.
Today, the company generates more than $850 million (around R14 billion) in annual revenue, cementing van Zuydam’s place among Africa’s dollar billionaires.
