#1118

Taha Mikati

Lebanon 81 years old Self-Made

Overview

Source of Wealth
Telecom
Industry
Telecom
Residence
Beirut
Education
American University of Beirut, Lebanon (Bachelor of Arts/Science)
Marital Status
Married
Children
3

Assets

  • MTN Group Ltd.
    54,464,507 shares @ -
    -
    MTN-ZA

Biography

Taha Mikati cofounded Beirut-based holding company M1 Group.

Its investments include stakes in South African telecom firm MTN, fashion retailer Pepe Jeans and prime real estate in New York, London and Monaco.

Mikati and his billionaire brother Najib founded Investcom in 1982, selling satellite phones at the height of Lebanon's civil war.

They expanded into Africa where they built cellphone towers in Ghana, Liberia and Benin, among other countries.

In 2005, Investcom went public on the London Stock Exchange, and in 2009, South Africa's MTN bought the Mikatis' stake for $3.6 billion.

About

Mikati bought a bunch of satellite phones and sold them to friends and associates in Beirut in the early 80s for $50,000 apiece.

Mikati's son Azmi is the CEO of M1 Group.