By Prudence Minayo
Merc De Mesel is a famed name in the world of cryptocurrency and investment who has been labelled a billionaire by the Kenyan media. He became a household name in Kenya after he gifted his girlfriend Kshs 102 Million as this writer shares elsewhere in this article.
Background
He was born and raised in Flanders in the Northern Dutch part of Belgium. According to his Twitter profile, where he boasts more than 12k followers, he loves voluntarism, capitalism, exotic ladies and cars, babies and BCH. He also has a YouTube channel where he shares his life experiences, which also includes his financial experience.
Investment
Mesel began trading in virtual currency in 2008 and invested more heavily in cryptocurrency and stocks and he usually holds his investments for many years.
In an interview he granted read.cash, the serial entrepreneur said that he often thinks about his investments and looks at them from different sides, like, what could go wrong and why an investment may not pan out.
“I try to objectively see the pros and cons , the real risks and potential rewards. I also try to be in touch with my feelings, and what they tell me about a person or investment,” he said.
While he is an inspiration to many starting out on cryptocurrency, he also drew inspiration from big entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, Bill Gates and investors like Mark Faber, Edward Thorpe and Roland Vandamme.
Also Read: Everything You Need To know About Forex Trading in Kenya
Also Read: Top 10 Richest Billionaires in Africa 2021
Girlfriend
Felesta Nyamathira Njoroge is his 21-year-old Kenyan girlfriend. The two were thrust into the spotlight after DCI officials arrested them over the 102 million Mesel deposited in her account.
The Asset and Recovery Agency (ARA) has moved to court seeking orders to freeze the account of Nyamathira.
“There are reasonable grounds to believe that the funds held in the account in the name of the respondent, are illicit funds in which the respondent is involved in a money laundering scheme designed to conceal and disguise the nature, source location and movement of funds,” the ARA stated in court documents.
According to ARA, investigations show the account had no cash before the suspicious transactions were made. The money was made in four instalments with the first deposit being made on 4th August (Ksh25,803,756), the second the following day (ksh25,803,756), and the third and fourth transactions were made separately on 6th August. The account was opened on 2nd August.
A video that went viral on social media shows the Belgian explaining that the right procedure was followed as he gifted the money to his girlfriend.
The investor says while he knew of unlawful practices in Africa, he never expected to be summoned and questioned by the police, apprehended in his home, have his phone, laptop and passport seized and handcuffed alongside his pregnant girlfriend without notice.
Children
He is a great father to his kids as is evidenced through some of his earlier videos. In a past interview, he said he hoped to give more quality time, love and attention to his kids.
“Giving them a rich environment where they learn a lot, by giving them the freedom to follow their curiosity instead of wanting them to learn what I like or become what I want, instead of force feeding them boring subjects,” he said.
