Nassef Onsi Sawiris

Born: 19 January 1961, Aswan, Egypt Nationality: Egyptian Religion: Coptic Christian Net Worth (Jan 2026): US$8.5 billion – richest Egyptian Family: Youngest son of Onsi Sawiris; brothers are Naguib and Samih Sawiris

Early Life & Education

• Attended Deutsche Evangelische Oberschule Kairo for secondary education.

• University of Chicago (1982): Bachelor’s degree in Economics.

• Comes from the influential Sawiris family, known for building Orascom into a global conglomerate.

Career Timeline

• 1982: Joined Orascom Group, focusing on construction.

• 1995: Took over management of Orascom Construction from his father.

• 1998: Became CEO of Orascom Construction Industries (OCI).

• 2004: Oversaw OCI’s acquisition of 50% of Besix (Belgian construction group).

• 2004–2007: Board member of the Cairo & Alexandria Stock Exchanges.

• 2008–2010: Board director at Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX).

• 2013: Became CEO of OCI NV, after restructuring parent company OCI SAE.

• 2015: Elected to the board of LafargeHolcim (global cement giant).

• 2015: Acquired a stake in Adidas AG via NNS Holding Sàrl Luxembourg.

• 2016: Appointed supervisory director of Adidas AG.

• 2020–2022: Founded Avanti Acquisition Corp (SPAC), later wound up after failing to secure a merger.

Sports Investments

Aston Villa (England)

• 2018: Alongside Wes Edens, purchased a 55% controlling stake (£30m) in Aston Villa.

• Rescued the club from financial crisis and unpaid tax bills.

• Oversaw promotion back to the Premier League in 2019.

• Became sole owners after buying out Tony Xia’s shares.

• Invested ~£360m in debt-free share capital by 2022.

• Plans underway to expand Villa Park to 50,000+ seats, costing over £100m.

Vitória S.C. (Portugal)

• 2023: V Sports acquired a 46% stake (€5m) in Vitória S.C.

• Committed €2m to infrastructure and a €20m credit line.

• Ratified by club members in March 2023.

Other Sports Assets

• Owns 6.3% stake in MSG Sports, which controls the New York Knicks (NBA) and New York Rangers (NHL).

• V Sports (formerly NSWE) is pursuing a multi-club ownership model.

Other Activities

• University of Chicago: Board of Trustees member since 2013.

• Council on Foreign Relations (CFR): Member of Global Board of Advisors.

• Cleveland Clinic: Member of International Leadership Board.

Personal Life

• Married to Sherine Sawiris.

• Has four children.

• Resides in Cairo and maintains a home in New York City.

• Practices Coptic Christianity.

Quick Facts

In summary: Nassef Sawiris is a global investor and industrialist, steering Orascom Construction and OCI NV, while diversifying into sports ownership and international brands like Adidas. His leadership has made him Egypt’s wealthiest individual and a key figure in both business and global sports.