Gor Semelang’o is a flamboyant businessman known for his opulent display of wealth. From wearing watches worth half a million to buying his son a Ford Mustang worth Sh4 million for his birthday, his wealth has seen him catch the eye of many Kenyans. Below are some of the known sources of his wealth
Tabloid newspaper
Gor owned the now-defunct Truth magazine, a weekly tabloid publication that was run by Talanta Media. In the past, The Standard and Nairobi Wire reported that he owned the media company although it is not clear if he still runs it.
Chairman of Youth Enterprise and Development Fund
This is a government corporation aimed at supporting the youths in their entrepreneurial journey. He had served as a board member of the organization for three years before he was appointed chairman by the late retired president Mwai Kibaki on 16th January 2013. He was fired by former president Uhuru Kenyatta via a gazette notice dated February 27, 2014.
Real Estate
During an interview with Dr. King’ori, the businessman revealed that he has invested in real estate. He too at some point has been burnt after purchasing land from a friend who was in dire financial need in Kisumu only to realize it was a strip of land.
He, however, encouraged that real estate is a good venture with proper research. According to him, the return on investment in real estate is about 10% monthly. For example, if one invested Sh10 million, they are likely to get about 100,000 every month. Anything more would be a bit unrealistic.
Oil industry
The Utrecht University alumni are the founder and managing director of Petrokenya Oil Co. Limited. They describe themselves as a leading exporter, importer and wholesaler of petroleum products.
In the Wicked Edition, he said the fuel industry was lucrative but there were various barriers to entry. A few people are given licenses to import fuel before distributing it to wholesalers who will later distribute the fuel to other companies.
To be allowed to get into the business, one needs to have at least Sh1 million dollars in the pipeline. This is not capital it’s just money you have lying somewhere.
He was the majority stakeholder of PetroKenya which he was a co-owner alongside retired president Uhuru Kenyatta’s uncle, Muhoho. However, in 2020, he sold 45% of his shares to a United Arab Emirates-based company in a deal reported to be worth over Sh4.5 billion. This meant that he was left with an 8% shareholding in the company.
Apart from these, several publications have claimed he owns businesses outside the country. Apart from chairing the Youth Enterprise and Development Fund, he has also served as a senior advisor on the Global stage for the Commonwealth Security headquartered in Westminster, London.
