By Nicholas Fidel Ncube
Wicknell Chivhayo now known to some as mukuru we ma zuva is an engima loved by some and envied by others. Wicknell Chivhayo known for his lavish lifestyle and generous philanthropic gestures has added a new $34 Million dollar Gulfstream to his asset register.
The G550 is known for its long range and exquisite comfort. The Billionaire can now jet in and out of countries in style and opulence. Most of us see the jet and envy the man while some speculate on what he does and how he makes his money. In Africa when we barely understand how someone makes their money we will accuse them of doing rituals or being corrupt. It is only in Africa that people believe a snake can spit money and make you rich.
Wicknell Chivhayo is not different from Ray Dalio or Steve Schwarzman or any rainmaker on WALLSTREET. Wicknell Chivhayo is a deal broker who has mastered the art of the deal as Donald Trump would put it. Wicknell Chivhayo brokers his deals and ensures that he bags his success fee on signing. He doesn’t need to own any product , he doesn’t need to manufacture anything neither would he need to exhibit anything to get clients flocking to him. In his space he just needs to know player A and player C , he brings them to the table helps them find each other in a transaction and he makes his money and if he wants he can keep a bit of equity or even sell that equity.
We know Henry Kravis or George Roberts as wealthy titans of Wallstreet but they don’t produce or manufacture anything yet they are billionaires. Wicknell Chivhayo plays the same game and for those of us who understand it we admire how he pivoted from being a street hustler to being a titan of the African boardroom.
Wicknell Chivhayo meets Presidents, bank executives , global leaders in different sectors and when he meets them he is discussing his next multi billion dollar project and making a 5 to 10% success fee or something of that sort. When you do the maths you will realise that it’s not witchcraft, not rituals , not corruption its just being an operator who knows how to play the game.
Sir Wicknell can now play the game in his new Gulfstream G550. What most people won’t say is that Sir Wicknell is a workaholic when some of us are in one club or the other getting lap dances he will be busy putting together his next transaction. Sir Wicknell is definitely a hard worker. He never posts his work just his end result and for that people misunderstand what he does , it’s not easy playing the game at the level.
Sir Wicknell has indeed set himself apart from the other players in the industry. The Gulfstream G550 now puts him in the league of the 1% he joins the club of rainmakers as they are called on Wallstreet in New York.
