Africa’s richest woman hints at Angolan presidency

This appeared in The Millennial Source.

Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos dubbed the “petrodollar princess” has suggested that she may seek to become the country’s next president. In a January 16 interview with the BBC in London, Dos Santos declined four times to rule out running for the presidency.

Currently living abroad, she stressed that her life would be at risk if she were to return to Angola. Despite this, Dos Santos did not rule out the possibility of running for president, mentioning that she has a strong sense of patriotism and duty to her country. “To lead is to serve, so I will do whatever my life takes me,” she said.

Dos Santos has also told a Portuguese television channel that “it’s possible” she might run for the presidency in 2022. The announcement marks a dramatic shift for someone who has consistently portrayed herself as an entrepreneur with no interest in politics.

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The 46-year-old is one of the world’s richest women, with Forbes magazine estimating her fortune to be worth $2.1 billion, making her the richest woman in Africa. Dos Santos was named Africa’s richest woman for her many investments in Angola and Portugal – a wealth which was largely amassed during her father President José Eduardo dos Santos’s…