South African billionaire Koos Bekker ruffles feathers with luxury estate in England

South African entrepreneur Koos Bekker, the founder of DStv and once the CEO of Naspers, has stirred controversy in the English countryside with his expanding luxury estate, The Newt. Once a 2,000-acre working farm, the property in Somerset has been transformed into a luxury hotel and now encompasses hundreds of additional acres, nearby properties, and local businesses.

However, the estate's growth has not been met with universal acclaim. Neighbors have voiced concerns over the use of pesticides on the farmland, alleged impacts on local streams due to new boreholes and water drilling, and fears of increased flooding. They also worry about the potential for rising prices and the estate's influence on local businesses, particularly after Bekker and his wife Karen Roos acquired several pubs and other establishments in the area.

Bekker, with a fortune amassed through investments in technology and media, became CEO of Naspers in 1997, turning the traditional media firm into a global technology investor, notably through early investment in Tencent in 2001. He also played a crucial role in establishing South Africa's first pay-TV service, M-Net, which later expanded into MultiChoice, the operator of DStv.