Norwegian billionaire fishing farm inheritor, 29, insists he is a ‘regular man’

He enjoys a lifetime of luxurious and a beneficiant internet price estimated at £3.8billion – but a Norwegian fishing farm inheritor has insisted he is simply ‘a standard man’ and is ‘very joyful and grateful he grew up with out cash’.

Gustav Magnar Witzøe, 29, was named by Forbes because the world’s youngest male billionaire in 2018 after his father Gustav Witzoe senior gifted nearly half of fishing farm Salmar ASA to his son in 2013.

The mannequin grew up on Frøya, a tiny island off the north-west coast of Norway, along with his mom Oddny working as a carer, whereas in 1991, Gustav Snr based his agency, which might later develop into one of many world’s largest salmon producers.

Chatting with The Telegraph, Gustav Junior, who lives alone within the metropolis of Trondheim, careworn how joyful and ‘grateful’ he’s to have loved a easy childhood with out cash. 

However the inheritor just isn’t shy about sharing glimpses of his lavish life-style on Instagram, from first-class journeys to the Cannes Pageant to holidays to Lake Como and drives down the coast in his father’s classic Aston Martin. 

‘Possibly it will have been totally different if I’d grown up with cash, however since we didn’t once I was a child, I’m very joyful about that. It was only a regular, down-to-earth household, and I feel these are values I’ll take with me,’ he advised the publication. 

The inheritor, who describes himself as an investor, a mannequin and a philanthropist, stated he’s a ‘regular man, who likes soccer, likes figuring out, who events each every so often, likes hanging out with mates.’ 

Regardless of his lifetime of luxurious, Gustav nonetheless visits his mother and father every week and nonetheless sees his childhood mates on the small island of Frøya, the place he grew up. 

Gustav’s father based Salmar ASA in 1991 with 11 workers and some boats, and earnings exploded when the corporate went public in 2007. 

It’s now the second largest producer of Atlantic salmon on the earth, and harvested 198,200 tonnes of fish simply final 12 months. 

When he turned 18, Gustav senior made his son the corporate’s primary shareholder for inheritance tax causes, however the mannequin nonetheless considers Salmar’s his father’s firm, and isn’t concerned within the day-to-day operating of the operations. 

He has no plans to take over the household enterprise anytime quickly,  and stated he has different issues occurring in the intervening time. 

However it has not at all times been glitz and glamour for the rich inheritor, who needed to earn first-hand information of the household enterprise. 

After highschool, Gustav revealed he skipped college and as a substitute put himself to work on salmon farms for 2 years to study the commerce. 

Whereas he stated he liked the bodily work of the farms, these days, his Instagram account is filled with vacation snaps to Italy, France, Dubai and extra, blended with Vogue Scandinavia photoshoots and pictures different modelling gigs. 

He was inspired to begin modelling by a good friend, and is presently signed by Idol Appears to be like and Subsequent Fashions Worldwide, saying the work is enjoyable and helps to get himself out of his shell. 

He stated that whereas he would not conceal who he’s, few of the individuals he has labored on on trend shoots recognise him. 

Work-wise, on high of posing for the cameras, Gustav likes to put money into start-ups by his firm Wiski Capital, and seemingly values his mother and father’ recommendation greater than he does his precise advisors.

He additionally runs a charitable basis, the W Initiative, a philanthropic basis he arrange final 12 months, which focuses on youngsters’s well being and schooling. 

The non-profit’s first venture is to offer entry to wash water and sanitary services to greater than 4,000 youngsters in Uganda. 

Throughout his free-time, Gustav stated he works out 9 occasions per week, and has put his partying days behind him. 

He stated he prefers healthful down-time along with his family members to dancing the evening away in golf equipment, and would not exit a lot anymore. 

It is a far cry from his late teenage years, the place he served two weeks in jail aged 19 after driving at 180kph in a 60kph zone. 

Talking of his father’s firm in 2018, aged 25, Gustav already confirmed he did not really feel entitled to the household’s fortune. 

Chatting with Norwegian newspaper Dagblade, he defined: ‘You possibly can’t simply demand to be the boss of such a giant organisation.  You need to be suited to it. If there are alternate options, the perfect man or girl should get the job. There’s a lot at stake — values, jobs, essential components.’

As an alternative he has invested in begin up firms together with Norwegian Snapchat-challenger Gobiand and Airbnb host service Keybutler.

In keeping with Enterprise Insider, Gustav’s father beforehand addressed the ‘lengthy discussions’ his household had about placing his then 19-year-old son answerable for his shares.

Witzøe, who nonetheless runs the corporate, reportedly stated: ‘There are pluses and minuses. It could possibly have an effect on you in some ways, good and dangerous. It may have an effect on relationships with mates.’

Together with photos of his luxurious travels, Gustav has additionally shared his plush types of transport, which embrace a Porsche, a personal airplane and a ship and snaps of his canine.

Gustav beforehand advised Dagbladet of his fortune: ‘They [my parents] imagine they need to have taken extra time to assume it over. That is due most likely to my being shoved out into the general public limelight. It was very unusual at first. It makes you a bit nervous about what individuals assume.’