Economics
Congo Bribery Probe Puts Israeli Billionaire’s Future on Hold
- Gertler, longtime friend of president, made billions on deals
- U.S. sanctions are squeezing Gertler’s ability to do business
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A 20-year friendship that helped turn Dan Gertler into a billionaire has left the Israeli businessman with a lot fewer places to go.
The U.S. government accused Gertler of corrupt mining and oil deals in the Democratic Republic of Congo and said he acted as a middle-man to enrich his longtime buddy, President Joseph Kabila. The two have been close since Gertler arrived as a young diamond merchant during a civil war in 1997, and Congo -- one of Africa’s poorest countries -- is the main source of his wealth.