Reginald Mengi, Tanzanian billionaire and owner of IPP Media, is dead

Mengi died on Thursday, May 2, 2019, in Dubai, according to reports.

IPP Media wrote, “RIPMengi, we are sorry to announce the death of IPP executive chairman, DR. Reginald Abraham Mengi, which occurred in Dubai, UAE on the eve of today May Almighty God rest his soul in eternal peace. Amen...”

“I am disappointed with the news of the death of an elder and my friend Dr Reginald Mengi. I will remember him for his great contribution to the development of our nation and his vision of his book I Can, I Will, I Must. Pollen family members, IPP and Community Traders,” Dr John Magufuli‏, Tanzania's president said in a tweet.

Dr John Magufuli‏, Tanzania's president and Dr Reginald Mengi after the launch of Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) in Dar es Salaam on 4th June 2018 (Twitter/@MagufuliJP) Twitter/@MagufuliJP

His beginning

In his popular book, “I Can, I Must, I Will”, Reginald Mengi narrated how was born into a poor family but managed to overcome circumstances and establish one of the largest businesses in Tanzania.

“Despite being born into extreme poverty, Dr Reginald Mengi managed to study accountancy in the UK and qualified as a chartered accountant.

"In 1989 Dr Mengi left the prestigious audit firm of Cooper Brothers (later Coopers & Lybrand and now PriceWaterhouseCoopers- PWC), where he had risen to the position of Managing Partner and Chairman, to concentrate on his own businesses,” a note on his personal bibliography reads on the company's website.

Until his death, he was a prominent philanthropist who has pioneered corporate and individual social responsibility in Tanzania by contributing his time and resources to worthy causes.

In 2014, Forbes estimated his net worth to be at $560 million.