Alfred Beit was called a financial genius. When he went to South Africa in 1875, nobody suspected that the son of converted Hamburg Jews would soon be one of the richest men of his time - through Kimberley diamonds and the gold of Witwatersrand. As co-founder of De Beers Ltd. and close friend of Cecil Rhodes - the “engine” of British imperialism in southern Africa - he became one of the colonial fathers of Rhodesia. A British citizen since 1898, he tries to mediate politically - unsuccessfully - in the incipient conflicts between Empire and Empire. Alfred Beit has generously supported countless charitable institutions, even first-rate art collectors. The Hamburgische Wissenschaftliche Stiftung (Hamburg Scientific Foundation) also owes its foundation to one of his spectacular donations. This is the first comprehensive biography of this extraordinary merchant, art collector and international philanthropist.

1. Ausgabe (2011): ISBN 978-3-937816-82-1 (Druckausgabe vergriffen), URN urn:nbn:de:gbv:18-3-1073

Englische Ausgabe (2012): ISBN 978-3-943423-01-3, DOI 10.15460/HUP.MFW.9en.127