Dan Gertler is an Israeli billionaire businessman whose fortune is rooted in natural resources and diamond trading. Born in 1973, he is the grandson of Moshe Schnitzer, the first president and co-founder of the Israel Diamond Exchange, placing him in a family legacy of diamond cutting and merchandising. Gertler learned the nuances of the diamond trade from his father and grandfather from a young age.

In 1996, he founded the Dan Gertler International (DGI) group of companies, formally establishing his presence in the commodities sector. His career is defined by a highly aggressive, high-risk, and controversial strategy of acquiring mining and oil licenses in regions marked by political instability, most notably the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Dan Gertler's immense wealth was generated by acquiring mining and oil licenses at knock-down prices from the DRC government or state-owned mining companies, which he then sold to multinational companies (and sometimes back to the Congolese government) for massive profits. This strategy allowed him to dominate the mining sector in the DRC, focusing on copper and cobalt (essential minerals for EV batteries).

His career is marked by severe controversy: in 2017, the United States sanctioned Gertler for corruption and alleged involvement in human rights violations under the Global Magnitsky Act. The U.S. Treasury Department asserted that Gertler's operations generated over $1.36 billion of loss for the DRC in just two years. The sanctions effectively banished him from the U.S. dollar banking system, a major blow that underscored the ethical and legal risks of his business model. Despite legal efforts to evade sanctions, he remains a symbol of the immense profits and profound controversies associated with resource extraction in politically unstable regions.

Dan Gertler's social impact is highly complex and dominated by controversy. While his companies created some jobs in the DRC mining sector, his career is largely criticized by anti-corruption NGOs (like Global Witness and PPLAAF) for his operations that resulted in massive financial losses for the DRC, environmental damage, and alleged human rights abuses.

His personal philanthropy often supports educational and religious causes in Israel. His structural legacy is the intense debate over corruption and transparency in resource deals involving African nations.

Dan Gertler maintains the private, highly discreet style of an international commodity dealer. His attire is consistently professional and conservative, favoring tailored business suits. His aesthetic is one of guarded authority, reflecting the secrecy surrounding his business dealings.

Residing in Israel, his luxury is the immense liquid security derived from his successful, high-stakes resource deals. His life is dedicated to navigating the complex legal and political risks of resource extraction in unstable regions, maintaining a low profile while commanding immense financial power in the global mining sector.