What was Nelson Mandela’s Net Worth?
Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa, was a political activist, anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist. At the time of his death in December of 2013, he had a net worth of $1 million.
Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was widely respected for his efforts to end apartheid and promote racial reconciliation in the country.
Nelson Mandela’s Net Worth
Nelson Mandela’s net worth mainly came from the royalties of his autobiography “Long Walk to Freedom”. He was also a public speaker when his health permitted him. As President, he reduced his salary and donated one-third of it to South African children’s charities.
During his last days, there was a conflict within his family regarding his wealth. Mandela had been married three times and had six children, but he placed most of his wealth in over a dozen trust funds that would benefit his children and prevent disputes. Due to these trusts, Mandela was not an exceptionally wealthy person at the time of his death. A friend and lawyer, George Bizos, confirmed that Mandela was not a multi-millionaire, and his earnings were technically zero, aside from the donations he received for building schools and hospitals.
Nelson Mandela’s Early Life
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on July 18th, 1918 in the town of Mvezo in Umtata, South Africa. His middle name means “troublemaker” in his native Xhosa language. He grew up in the village of Qunu with his two sisters, raised by his polygamist father who was a local chief and councilor to the monarch. Mandela’s mother was his father’s third wife.
At the age of seven, his mother sent him to a nearby Methodist school where he was given the English name of “Nelson.” His father passed away when he was nine years old, and Mandela was sent to live at a palace in Mqhekezweni under the guardianship of a Chief and his wife. He attended another Methodist school and became a devout Christian.
Mandela continued his education at Clarkebury Methodist High School and the University of Fort Hare, where he studied English, anthropology, politics, and native administration. He was active in the school community and was suspended from the university for participating in a boycott over the poor quality of food. After moving to Johannesburg, he enrolled at the University of South Africa to finish his education and went on to pursue a career in law.
Nelson Mandela’s Early Activism
Nelson Mandela attended University of the Witwatersrand for law, where he experienced frequent racism as the only black student. He began to support anti-apartheid measures and became president of the ANC and ANCYL. His attraction to communism grew after reading Marx and Lenin, and he began preparing for the Defiance Campaign against Unjust Laws. He was arrested and convicted of statutory communism in 1952, receiving a suspended sentence of nine months of hard labor. The next year, he obtained his law degree and opened the nation’s only African-run law firm.
Mandela’s Shift to Non-Peaceful Resistance
In 1955, Nelson Mandela recognized that peaceful resistance would not be enough to end apartheid. He worked with other anti-apartheid groups to create a Freedom Charter, which called for a democratically run, non-racial government.
In 1956, he was charged with high treason against the state. The trial began in August 1958, but Mandela and the other defendants successfully had the judges replaced. The charges were then amended to accuse ANC leadership of treason by advocating for revolution. However, in March 1961, Mandela was found not guilty.
After this, he worked with nationalist groups to engage in sabotage of key infrastructure in the country, with the goal of pressuring the government rather than harming individuals.
Nelson Mandela’s Incarceration and Fight Against Apartheid
In August 1952, Mandela was charged with inciting strikes and leaving the country without permission, resulting in a five-year prison sentence. In 1953, he was charged with sabotage and conspiracy to violently overthrow the government, which led to a life sentence along with other activists. Mandela spent eighteen years in poor conditions at Robben Island before being transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in 1982. He was offered release in 1984 if he renounced violence, but refused. Mandela continued his fight to end apartheid, resulting in civil unrest and casualties. In 1994, he was elected President of South Africa and successfully transitioned the nation to democracy, ending apartheid minority rule.
Mandela’s Personal Life
Nelson Mandela was married three times. He married Evelyn Mase in 1944, and they had three children before divorcing in 1954. He then married Winnie Mandela in 1958, and they had two children and separated in 1999. His final marriage was to Graáa Mache in late 1998.
Mandela’s Philanthropic Activities
After retiring from politics in 1999, Mandela continued his philanthropic activities. He earned much of his wealth from the royalties from his 1994 autobiography “Long Walk to Freedom.”
Mandela’s Death and Burial
Mandela died on December 5th, 2013. He is buried in Qunu in the Eastern Cape Province.
