Jospong, Despite & 5 Ghanaian Dollar Millionaires Who Can Easily Help Ghana Get Out Of Economic Crisis

Jospong, Despite & 5 Ghanaian Dollar Millionaires Who Can Easily Help Ghana Get Out Of Economic Crisis

Ghana could do with some help from the super-rich people in the country to solve the current economic and financial challenges. The successful businesses of Ernesto Taricone, Sam Jonah, Joseph Siaw Agyepong and Kwabena Awuah-Darko, among others, demonstrate that these men have both the money and ideas to get Ghana back on its feet.

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Although Ghana is currently struggling to navigate the choppy waters of the economic and financial crisis, there are very wealthy men who can come together to help the situation.

Ghana’s finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta made a raft of proposals under his oft-criticised Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) to reduce the fiscal burden of huge loans.

The minister also reluctantly went to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to apply for $3 billion to support the balance of trade and restore confidence in the economy.

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But none of the steps taken by the minister to improve the current economic and financial challenges has included formally approaching successful private business people, either for advice or financial assistance, although for many years about 25 names usually pop up in discussions on the wealthiest dollar millionaires in Ghana.

Sam Jonah, Joseph Siaw Agyepong, Ibrahim Mahama, Osei Kwame Despite, and Ernesto Taricone continue to flourish with their superb business acumen even though the economy is in shambles.

In this listicle, YEN.com.gh presents only 7 of Ghana’s wealthiest business people who can easily help the country emerge from the current economic crisis stronger if they wish to do so and are approached.

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In Ghana, however, an official or credible worth of any wealthy person is either unavailable or hard to find. So the stated net worths of the wealthy people mentioned in this article are unofficial estimates made by people with some knowledge about their business interests.

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1. Ernesto Taricone is one of the media-shy wealthy men in Ghana

Ernesto Taricone is a real estate mogul.
Ernesto Taricone's most impressive real-estate project is the Villagio. Source: Facebook/@ghanaiantimes
Source: Facebook

Italian-Ghanaian Ernesto Taricone always sits on top of any list of wealthy people in Ghana.

Source of wealth: Agro Business, construction, mining, design, and real estate development.

He could provide valuable insight to the government on how to rake in more cash for the country in real estate and agriculture -- that is if getting him to release some of his cash to the state would be difficult.

2. Sir Sam E. Jonah's business empire is worth millions

Sam Jonah is a successful businessman
Sam Jonah is one of the wealthiest businessmen in Ghana. Source: Facebook/@Otumfuofdn
Source: Getty Images

The net worth of Sir Sam Jonah, a 73-year-year old mining magnate and business mogul has been described as impressive by unofficial sources.

Source of wealth: Mining sector, real estate, agriculture, constructions, financial services, oil and gas services.

He runs successful businesses both in Ghana and South Africa. He has led different organisations such as Ashanti Goldfields which merged with AngloGold in 2004.

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3. Michael Ibrahim Mahama's success remains an inspiration

Ibrahim Mahama is a wealthy businessman in Ghana.
Ibrahim Mahama is CEO of Engineers and Planners and other businesses. Source: Facebook/@michael.kwofie.16144
Source: Facebook

At 51 years, Ibrahim Mahama has established himself as one of the youngest dollar millionaires in Ghana.

Source of wealth: Mining, construction and civil works, hiring heavy-duty equipment, and consulting services.

The popular brother of Ghana's former president John Dramani Mahama has an impressive reputation in the private sector in Ghana and Egypt.

4. Osei Kwame Despite started from very humble beginnings

Kwame Osei Despite owns successful businesses.
Kwame Osei Despite is CEO of the Despite Group of Companies. Source: Facebook/@oseikwamedespiteofficial
Source: Facebook

The 60-year-old from-rags-to-riches man remains one of the most loved rich personalities in Ghana.

Source of wealth: Despite Group of Companies -- trading company and with subsidiaries in the media industry.

His ability to successfully diversify his media and other business interests could prove invaluable to the state.

5 Awuah-Darko Family has a long-standing record of business success

Kwame Awuah-Darko and his family own the successful Vanguard Assurance.
Kwame Awuah-Darko and his family won the Vanguard Assurance, a successful insurance company. Source: Facebook/@Kkawuahdarko
Source: Facebook

The family consists of Kwame Awuah-Darko, Daniel Awuah-Darko Jnr, David Awuah-Darko, and Harold Awuah-Darko. Together the family is estimated to have amassed an impressive amount of wealth according to rumours.

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Source of wealth: Vanguard Assurance

It is not clear but there is a strong belief that their fortune is generated from the Vanguard Group of companies.

6. Joseph Siaw Ayepong already has close ties with the government

Joseph Siaw Agyepong is CEO of Jospong Group of Companies.
Joseph Siaw Agyepong's waste management companies stretch across other African countries. Source: Facebook/@jsagyepong.
Source: Facebook

Joseph Siaw Agyepong's Jospong Group of Companies keeps going strong amid unsubstantiated allegations of underhand dealings.

Source of wealth: Waste management, ICT, banking, automobile and equipment.

Already with close ties to the state, Agyepong can provide some advice to the government on how to make huge cash from waste-to-energy or waste-to-fertilizer initiatives.

7. Kwabena Adjare Danquah is wealthy but not very well-known

Kwame Adjare Danquah founded Metalex.
Kwame Adjare Danquah's net worth is estimated to be $500 million. Source: Facebook/@wundefpr
Source: Facebook

Kwabena Adjare Danquah is the renowned founding father of Metalex. He is revered for his well-preserved brand as a wealthy man who has stayed away from excessive media appearances.

Source of wealth: Roofing materials production

His company focuses on the production of premium roofing materials. With Ghana trumpeting industrialisation, He could spare Ghana some invaluable nuggets of ideas on how to achieve success in that area.

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Sam Jonah, Ibrahim Mahama others missing on Forbes’ list of super-rich Africans

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported in a separate story that when the Forbes list of Africa's richest persons was released, it did not have any of the popular Ghanaians touted locally as rich.

Forbes’ List Of Richest People In Africa In 2023 didn't include Sam Jonah, Ibrahim Mahama or Osei Kwame Despite.

The Forbes list is topped by Nigeria's Aliko Dangote with over $13 billion, followed by South Africa's Johann Rupert with $10.7 billion.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
George Nyavor avatar

George Nyavor (Head of Politics and Current Affairs Desk) George Nyavor writes for YEN.com.gh. He has been Head of the Politics and Current Affairs Desk since 2022. George has over 9 years of experience in managing media and communications (Myjoyonline and GhanaWeb). George is a member of the Catholic Association of Media Practitioners Ghana (CAMP-G). He obtained a BA in Communications Studies from the Ghana Institute of Journalism in 2010. Reach out to him via george.nyavor@yen.com.gh.