A Flashy Zimbabwean Tycoon Who Befriended Presidents Dies in Crash

JOHANNESBURG -- A Zimbabwean businessperson who formed cozy relationships with African leaders, flaunted his lavish lifestyle of private jets and luxury cars and was dogged by corruption allegations died in a helicopter crash in his home country Wednesday.The businessperson, Wicknell Chivayo, was on his way back to Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, after visiting his rural homestead when the helicopter he was traveling in with several others, including his wife, plummeted into a field, killing everyone on board, according to local news reports and a Zimbabwean government spokesperson.Images from the crash site on the state broadcaster show the charred remains of the helicopter scattered into pieces across a field of brown grass. Authorities said the cause of the crash was under investigation.Chivayo, 45, was an intensely divisive figure, and his death has been met with polarized reactions online. Some have expressed sadness for his two children, who were not on the helicopter, while others showed glee over the death of a man they accused of building wealth through corruption while ordinary Zimbabweans struggled with high poverty and unemployment.The businessperson, who made his fortune largely through lucrative government contracts, denied wrongdoing. But the accusations trailed him, especially as he developed close relations with heads of state.President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe wrote on social media that the death of Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, "left our Nation, my family, and me personally numbed and in deep shock and grief." He praised Chivayo for his charitable acts.Kenyan President William Ruto also expressed his condolences online, calling Chivayo "a dear friend whose warmth touched many people."Chivayo recently posted a video online of Ruto driving him after he attended a celebration for Ruto's daughter.Chivayo's social media accounts are awash with pictures and videos of him flying in private jets and helicopters, driving Rolls Royces and other luxury cars and touting his generosity as he gave away cars or cash. He often referenced his Christian faith and posted many smiling pictures alongside leaders of various African countries, including South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania and Nigeria.Those sorts of ostentatious displays, plus his close relationship with Zimbabwe's governing party, ZANU-PF, which often shared Instagram posts that included him, prompted a lot of scrutiny in a country where many people have grown weary of public corruption."What a glorious day," one Zimbabwean wrote on Facebook after Chivayo's death."Forward thinking Zimbabweans and Kenyans are happiest right now courtesy of the untimely death" of Chivayo, one user on the social platform X wrote. "I just decided to skip work tomorrow to celebrate this event full time."Chivayo faced allegations of using his connections to win government contracts that went to financing his fancy lifestyle rather than the work he was supposed to do.In 2015, he was awarded a $173 million contract for a major solar energy project in Zimbabwe. As work on the project kept getting delayed over the years, Chivayo was charged in 2018 with fraud and money laundering in connection with an advanced payment he received for the project. Those charges were eventually thrown out, but the project remained outstanding by the time of his death.He also faced accusations of being involved in a corrupt scheme to secure materials for Zimbabwe's 2023 national election but was cleared of any wrongdoing by the country's anti-corruption authorities.Chivayo started his business career as an agent illegally exchanging foreign currency on the streets of Harare. In 2004, he was sentenced to three years in prison for fraud in connection with a transaction he was supposed to carry out.(STORY CAN END HERE. OPTIONAL MATERIAL FOLLOWS.)Simon Mann, a British mercenary who was convicted of plotting a coup in Equatorial Guinea, served prison time alongside Chivayo in Zimbabwe, and wrote glowingly about him in his autobiography. The men had discussed politics, Mann wrote, and Chivayo had given him a memorable warning: Don't ever criticize Zimbabwe's governing ZANU-PF.This article originally appeared in The New York Times.