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Key Points
- Nassef Sawiris' net worth fell by $220 million, dropping from $9.17 billion to $8.95 billion from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4, 2025.
- Despite a recent dip, Sawiris' wealth is still up YTD, increasing from $8.72 billion to $8.95 billion in early 2025.
- Sawiris remains Africa’s fourth-richest person, ranking 324th globally, ahead of U.S. billionaire Jude Reyes, despite his recent portfolio declines.
Nassef Sawiris, Egypt's richest man, has faced a notable setback after seeing a strong rise in early 2025. His net worth, which briefly surpassed $9 billion—reaching this milestone for the first time since December 2024—has now taken a hit, losing over $200 million in just one week.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Sawiris’ net worth fell from $9.17 billion on Jan. 28 to $8.95 billion by Feb. 4, marking a drop of $220 million. This decline is primarily due to a combination of factors, including a reevaluation of his cash holdings and a sharp drop in the market value of his investments.
Portfolio value declines, but wealth up YTD
Sawiris holds a diverse portfolio, including stakes in English football club Aston Villa, German sportswear company Adidas, and OCI Global, a leader in nitrogen and methanol production based in the Netherlands. Despite this recent dip, his fortune is still up compared to the start of 2025, when it stood at $8.72 billion, driven by strong performance in the early weeks of the year.
However, this recent decline has wiped out some of those early gains, reducing his year-to-date wealth increase from $477 million to $261 million. The drop reflects selling pressure and profit-taking on shares in the companies that make up a large part of his portfolio, pulling down the overall value of his investments.
Cash holdings and stake value fall
Notably, his 36.52 percent stake in Orascom Construction, Cairo's largest construction company, saw a minor gain, moving from $214 million to $216 million. However, this was overshadowed by broader declines across his portfolio.
The value of his cash holdings dropped from $3.93 billion to $3.88 billion. His 7 percent stake in German sportswear giant Adidas fell from $3.35 billion to $3.24 billion, while his 38 percent stake in OCI Global dropped from $968 million to $915 million.
Other investments also followed a similar trend. His stakes in Aston Villa and Madison Square Garden Sports Corp both declined, with the former dropping from $151 million to $146 million and the latter from $263 million to $261 million.
Sawiris' investment in French chemical company Arkema S.A. also declined, from $299 million to $297 million, reflecting the overall weakness in his asset base.
Sawiris remains Africa’s fourth-richest
While this setback underscores the volatility of Sawiris’ portfolio, his diverse holdings and the initial gains of 2025 still position him among the world's wealthiest individuals.
In Africa, he remains the continent’s fourth-richest person, and globally, he ranks 324th, just ahead of U.S. billionaire Jude Reyes, co-founder of Reyes Holdings, a major food service and beverage distributor with annual revenue of about $40 billion.
