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{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name        = Bob van Dijk
| name        = Bob van Dijk
| birth_date  = {{birth year and age|1972}}
| birth_date  = {{Birth year and age|1972}}
| birth_place  = Near [[Eindhoven]], [[Netherlands]]
| birth_place  = Near [[Eindhoven]], [[Netherlands]]
| nationality  = Dutch
| nationality  = Dutch
| education    = [[INSEAD]] ([[Master of Business Administration|MBA]])<br>[[Erasmus University Rotterdam]] ([[Master of Science|MSc]])
| education    = [[INSEAD]] ([[MBA]])<br>[[Erasmus University Rotterdam]] ([[MSc]] in [[Econometrics]])
| occupation  = Businessman
| occupation  = Businessman, corporate executive
| title        = Former Group CEO, [[Naspers]] and [[Prosus]]
| known_for    = Former CEO of [[Naspers]] and [[Prosus]]
| known_for    = CEO of Naspers and Prosus (2014–2023)
| title        = Group CEO, Naspers and Prosus (April 2014 – September 2023)
}}
}}


'''Bob van Dijk''' (born 1972) is a Dutch businessman who served as the group chief executive officer of [[Naspers]], the South African multinational internet and media conglomerate, and its international subsidiary [[Prosus]], from April 2014 to September 2023. During his nearly decade-long tenure at the helm of both companies, van Dijk oversaw the management of one of the world's largest technology investment portfolios, anchored by Naspers's position as the single-biggest shareholder in Chinese technology giant [[Tencent]].<ref name="ft">{{cite news |date=2023-09-18 |title=Naspers chief Bob van Dijk to step down |url=https://www.ft.com/content/d647abe0-1947-436a-92f6-7a1f76a831ae |work=Financial Times |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> Before joining Naspers, van Dijk held leadership positions at [[eBay]] and served as an associate at the global management consultancy [[McKinsey & Company]]. He holds an MSc in econometrics from [[Erasmus University Rotterdam]] and an MBA from [[INSEAD]].<ref name="bloomberg">{{cite web |title=Bob van Dijk Profile |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720131353/https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/17724748 |publisher=Bloomberg |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> His abrupt departure from Naspers and Prosus in September 2023 drew significant attention in international business media, with his successor, Fabricio Bloisi, eventually taking the permanent CEO role after an interim period led by Ervin Tu, the company's former mergers and acquisitions chief.<ref name="reuters">{{cite news |last= |first= |date=2023-09-18 |title=Naspers/Prosus CEO steps down, M&A chief Tu takes the helm |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/naspers-prosus-ceo-bob-van-dijk-steps-down-2023-09-18/ |work=Reuters |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
'''Bob van Dijk''' (born 1972) is a Dutch businessman who served as the group chief executive officer of [[Naspers]], the South African multinational internet and media conglomerate, and its international subsidiary [[Prosus]], from April 2014 until his resignation in September 2023.<ref name="reuters-stepdown">{{cite news |date=2023-09-18 |title=Naspers/Prosus CEO steps down, M&A chief Tu takes the helm |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/naspers-prosus-ceo-bob-van-dijk-steps-down-2023-09-18/ |work=Reuters |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> During his nearly decade-long tenure atop one of Africa's largest companies by market capitalisation—and the single-biggest shareholder in China's [[Tencent]]—van Dijk oversaw the creation of Prosus as a separately listed European investment vehicle, navigated a complex portfolio of global internet businesses, and managed the persistent challenge of narrowing the discount between Naspers' market value and the worth of its underlying Tencent stake.<ref name="ft-stepdown">{{cite news |date=2023-09-18 |title=Naspers chief Bob van Dijk to step down |url=https://www.ft.com/content/d647abe0-1947-436a-92f6-7a1f76a831ae |work=Financial Times |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> Before joining Naspers, van Dijk built a career in management consulting and e-commerce, working at [[McKinsey & Company]] and [[eBay]].<ref name="bloomberg-profile">{{cite web |title=Bob van Dijk Profile |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720131353/https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/17724748 |publisher=Bloomberg |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> He holds an MSc in econometrics from [[Erasmus University Rotterdam]] and an MBA from [[INSEAD]].<ref name="bloomberg-profile" />


== Early Life ==
== Early Life ==


Bob van Dijk was born in 1972 and grew up near [[Eindhoven]], in the southern part of the [[Netherlands]].<ref name="bloomberg" /> Eindhoven, known as a center of technology and innovation in the Netherlands due to the historical presence of companies such as [[Philips]] and the [[Eindhoven University of Technology]], provided the backdrop for van Dijk's formative years. Beyond these basic biographical details, limited public information is available regarding his family background and upbringing.
Bob van Dijk was born in 1972 and grew up near [[Eindhoven]], in the southern part of the [[Netherlands]].<ref name="bloomberg-profile" /> Eindhoven, historically associated with the electronics conglomerate [[Philips]], is one of the Netherlands' principal technology and industrial centres. Details regarding van Dijk's family background and childhood have not been extensively documented in public sources.


== Education ==
== Education ==


Van Dijk pursued his undergraduate and initial graduate studies at [[Erasmus University Rotterdam]], one of the Netherlands' foremost research universities, where he earned a Master of Science (MSc) degree in [[econometrics]].<ref name="bloomberg" /> Econometrics, a discipline combining economics, mathematics, and statistical methods, provided van Dijk with a strong quantitative foundation that would later inform his career in business strategy and technology investment.
Van Dijk pursued his undergraduate and graduate studies in the Netherlands before obtaining an advanced degree in business abroad. He earned a Master of Science (MSc) in [[econometrics]] from [[Erasmus University Rotterdam]], one of the leading research universities in the Netherlands with a strong reputation in economics and quantitative disciplines.<ref name="bloomberg-profile" /> He subsequently obtained a [[Master of Business Administration]] (MBA) from [[INSEAD]], the international graduate business school with campuses in [[Fontainebleau, Seine-et-Marne|Fontainebleau]], France, and [[Singapore]].<ref name="bloomberg-profile" /> His educational background combined quantitative analytical training with broad-based business management education, a combination that would inform his later career in management consulting and technology-focused corporate leadership.
 
He subsequently obtained a [[Master of Business Administration]] (MBA) from [[INSEAD]], the prestigious international business school with campuses in [[Fontainebleau, Seine-et-Marne|Fontainebleau]], France, and [[Singapore]].<ref name="bloomberg" /> INSEAD's MBA program, known for its accelerated one-year format and international cohort, is among the most selective graduate business programs globally. The combination of van Dijk's quantitative training in econometrics and his MBA from INSEAD positioned him for a career trajectory that would span management consulting, e-commerce, and global technology investment.


== Career ==
== Career ==


=== Early career at McKinsey & Company ===
=== Early Career at McKinsey & Company ===


Van Dijk began his professional career as an associate at [[McKinsey & Company]], the global management consulting firm.<ref name="bloomberg" /> McKinsey associates typically work on strategy, operations, and organizational projects for major corporations and institutions. While the specific duration and scope of van Dijk's work at McKinsey are not extensively documented in public sources, the firm has served as a launching pad for numerous technology and media executives. His time at McKinsey provided him with experience in strategic analysis and corporate advisory work that would prove relevant to his later roles in the technology sector.
Van Dijk began his professional career as an associate at [[McKinsey & Company]], the global management consulting firm.<ref name="bloomberg-profile" /> McKinsey is one of the most prominent strategy consulting firms in the world, and an associate position there typically involves advising large corporations on strategic, operational, and organizational matters. The experience at McKinsey provided van Dijk with foundational exposure to corporate strategy across multiple industries and geographies. The precise duration of his time at the firm and the specific practice areas in which he worked have not been detailed in publicly available sources.


=== eBay ===
=== eBay ===


Before joining Naspers, van Dijk worked at [[eBay]], the American multinational e-commerce corporation.<ref name="bloomberg" /> His experience at eBay gave him direct exposure to the operations and strategic challenges of running a global online marketplace, a domain that would become central to his later work at Naspers. The specific roles he held and the duration of his employment at eBay are not fully detailed in publicly available sources, but his time at the company placed him within the rapidly expanding world of global e-commerce during a period of significant growth for the industry.
Following his time at McKinsey, van Dijk moved into the technology and e-commerce sector by joining [[eBay]], the American multinational e-commerce company.<ref name="bloomberg-profile" /> His role at eBay marked his entry into the internet and technology industry, a sector that would define the remainder of his career. The specifics of his tenure at eBay—including his title, the markets he oversaw, and the duration of his employment—are not comprehensively documented in available public sources, though the experience gave him operational familiarity with the global online marketplace business model.
 
=== Naspers: Allegro division ===


Van Dijk's path to the top of Naspers began with his role as CEO of the company's Allegro division.<ref name="bloomberg" /> [[Allegro (auction website)|Allegro]] is a major e-commerce platform based in [[Poland]] and is one of the largest online marketplaces in [[Central and Eastern Europe]]. Leading the Allegro division gave van Dijk significant operational experience within the Naspers ecosystem and demonstrated his ability to manage a large-scale e-commerce business in a competitive and growing market. His success at Allegro was a factor in his selection as the group's overall chief executive.
=== Naspers: Allegro Division ===


=== Appointment as Naspers Group CEO ===
Van Dijk's career took a significant turn when he joined [[Naspers]], the South African internet and media group that traces its origins to the founding of the Afrikaans-language newspaper ''[[Die Burger]]'' in 1915 but had by the 2000s transformed itself into one of the world's largest technology investors. At Naspers, van Dijk initially served as the CEO of the Allegro division.<ref name="bloomberg-profile" /> [[Allegro (marketplace)|Allegro]] is a major online marketplace based in Poland that became one of the most prominent e-commerce platforms in [[Central and Eastern Europe]]. Under van Dijk's leadership of the division, he gained direct experience managing a large-scale internet business within the broader Naspers portfolio. His success in running the Allegro operations positioned him as a candidate for the group's top leadership role.


In late 2013, [[Naspers]] announced that Bob van Dijk would become the company's new group chief executive officer, effective April 1, 2014.<ref name="paypers">{{cite news |date=2014-01-09 |title=Naspers appoints Bob van Dijk as CEO |url=https://thepaypers.com/payments/news/naspers-appoints-bob-van-dijk-as-ceo |work=The Paypers |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> At the time of his appointment, van Dijk was described as a "company newcomer" in some media reports, reflecting the fact that while he had led the Allegro division, he was not as well known within the broader Naspers corporate hierarchy or in South African business circles as some other potential candidates.<ref name="paypers" />
=== Group CEO of Naspers (2014–2023) ===


Naspers, originally founded in 1915 as a South African newspaper publisher, had by the time of van Dijk's appointment transformed itself into a global consumer internet company with investments in e-commerce, online classifieds, food delivery, fintech, and social media across more than 100 countries. The company's most significant asset was—and remains—its substantial shareholding in [[Tencent Holdings]], the Chinese technology conglomerate behind the [[WeChat]] messaging platform and a range of other internet services. Naspers first invested in Tencent in 2001, acquiring a roughly 46% stake for approximately $32 million, an investment that would grow to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars over the following two decades.<ref name="ft" />
In late 2013, Naspers announced that Bob van Dijk had been appointed as the company's new group chief executive officer, effective 1 April 2014.<ref name="paypers-appointment">{{cite news |date=2014-07-09 |title=Naspers appoints Bob van Dijk as CEO |url=https://thepaypers.com/payments/news/naspers-appoints-bob-van-dijk-as-ceo |work=The Paypers |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> He succeeded Koos Bekker, the long-serving executive who had overseen Naspers' transformation from a traditional media company into a global internet conglomerate, most notably through its early investment in [[Tencent Holdings]], the Chinese technology giant. At the time of van Dijk's appointment, he was described as a "company newcomer" relative to other senior executives within the Naspers organisation.<ref name="paypers-appointment" />


Van Dijk assumed the CEO role at a time when Naspers was grappling with a persistent challenge: the company's market capitalization on the [[Johannesburg Stock Exchange]] (JSE) was substantially lower than the value of its Tencent stake alone, meaning that the market effectively assigned a negative value to the rest of Naspers's portfolio. Addressing this so-called "discount to [[net asset value]]" became a defining strategic preoccupation of van Dijk's tenure.
Van Dijk's appointment came at a pivotal moment for Naspers. The company's approximately 31% stake in Tencent had grown to represent the overwhelming majority of Naspers' total market capitalisation, creating a structural challenge in which the market consistently valued Naspers at a significant discount to the sum of its underlying assets. This "Naspers discount" became one of the central strategic issues that van Dijk would grapple with throughout his tenure.


=== Tenure and the creation of Prosus ===
==== Creation of Prosus ====


During his years as group CEO, van Dijk pursued a strategy focused on building and investing in growth-stage technology companies globally, with a particular emphasis on online classifieds, food delivery, payments and fintech, and edtech. Under his leadership, Naspers made significant investments in companies across these verticals in markets including [[India]], [[Brazil]], [[Russia]], and various countries in [[Southeast Asia]] and [[Europe]].
One of the most significant structural decisions during van Dijk's tenure was the creation of [[Prosus]], a separately listed international consumer internet subsidiary. Prosus was listed on the [[Euronext Amsterdam]] exchange in September 2019, with Naspers retaining a controlling stake. The rationale behind the listing was to provide a more appropriate European-listed vehicle for Naspers' international internet assets, including the Tencent stake and investments in companies spanning online classifieds, food delivery, payments, and education technology. The creation of Prosus was intended in part to address the persistent discount at which Naspers traded relative to the value of its Tencent holding, by giving international investors a more accessible entry point and reducing the outsized impact of the Naspers stock on the [[Johannesburg Stock Exchange]] (JSE), where it had at times represented over 20% of the index's total weighting.


One of the most notable strategic moves during van Dijk's tenure was the creation and listing of [[Prosus]] N.V. in September 2019. Prosus was established as the international consumer internet arm of Naspers and was listed on the [[Euronext Amsterdam]] stock exchange. The creation of Prosus was intended, in part, to address the persistent discount between Naspers's market value and the value of its underlying assets by providing international investors with a more accessible vehicle for investing in the Naspers portfolio. The Tencent stake was transferred to Prosus, and Naspers retained a controlling interest in Prosus.
Van Dijk served simultaneously as the CEO of both Naspers and Prosus, overseeing a complex dual-listed corporate structure. Under this arrangement, Prosus held the international internet assets, including the Tencent stake, while Naspers retained control through its majority ownership of Prosus along with its South African media assets.


Van Dijk served as CEO of both Naspers and Prosus simultaneously during this period. Despite the Prosus listing, the discount to net asset value remained a persistent concern for shareholders and analysts. In response, the companies under van Dijk's leadership undertook a series of measures, including share buyback programs and, notably, an open-ended share repurchase program funded by the gradual sale of a portion of the Tencent stake. This program, announced in 2022, involved Prosus selling down its Tencent holding in a measured fashion and using the proceeds to buy back its own shares and those of Naspers, with the aim of narrowing the discount.<ref name="ft" />
==== Portfolio Management and Strategic Direction ====


The decision to sell Tencent shares was significant and closely watched by the market. While it provided capital for buybacks and helped reduce the discount, it also meant that the companies were reducing their exposure to what had been by far their most valuable single investment.
During van Dijk's tenure, Naspers and Prosus managed a globally diversified portfolio of internet and technology companies. The portfolio extended across numerous sectors including online classifieds (through investments in platforms such as [[OLX Group]]), food delivery (through investments in companies such as [[Delivery Hero]], [[iFood]], and [[Swiggy]]), payments and fintech (through [[PayU]]), and education technology (through investments in platforms such as [[Udemy]] and others).


Throughout his tenure, van Dijk also oversaw Naspers and Prosus's investments in a range of other technology businesses. These included stakes in food delivery companies, online classifieds platforms, and fintech operations in various emerging markets. However, the performance of many of these investments relative to the Tencent stake was a recurring point of scrutiny from investors and analysts.
A recurring strategic challenge throughout van Dijk's leadership was the question of how to unlock value from the Tencent stake while managing the discount. The company undertook a share swap and buyback programme through which Prosus gradually sold down portions of its Tencent holding to fund share repurchases of its own stock, seeking to narrow the discount in a tax-efficient and market-neutral manner. This open-ended programme represented a novel approach to the problem, though the discount proved resistant to narrowing significantly over the long term.


=== Departure from Naspers and Prosus ===
The [[Financial Times]] described Naspers under van Dijk as "the single-biggest shareholder in China's Tencent," underscoring the degree to which the Tencent investment remained the dominant feature of the company's valuation and investor profile.<ref name="ft-stepdown" />


On September 18, 2023, Naspers and Prosus announced that Bob van Dijk had stepped down as chief executive officer of both companies, effective immediately.<ref name="reuters" /><ref name="businesslive">{{cite news |date=2023-09-18 |title=Bob van Dijk steps down as CEO of Naspers and Prosus |url=https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/companies/telecoms-and-technology/2023-09-18-bob-van-dijk-steps-down-as-ceo-of-naspers-and-prosus/ |work=BusinessLive |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> The announcement was widely described in the media as abrupt and unexpected. The ''Financial Times'' reported on his departure, noting his role atop the company that was the single-biggest shareholder in Tencent.<ref name="ft" /> [[TechCrunch]] characterized the resignation as an abrupt step down from the top role at the Dutch e-commerce investor and its controlling shareholder.<ref name="techcrunch">{{cite news |date=2023-09-17 |title=Prosus, Naspers CEO Bob van Dijk abruptly steps down |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/17/prosus-naspers-ceo-bob-van-dijk-abruptly-steps-down/ |work=TechCrunch |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
==== Departure in September 2023 ====


Upon his departure, Ervin Tu, who had served as the company's mergers and acquisitions chief, was named as interim CEO to take the helm of both Naspers and Prosus.<ref name="reuters" /> [[Bloomberg News]] reported that van Dijk would remain as a consultant to the board following his resignation from the chief executive position.<ref name="bloomberg-video">{{cite news |date=2023-09-18 |title=Prosus CEO Van Dijk Resigns From Tech Investing Firm and Its Parent Naspers |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2023-09-18/prosus-and-naspers-ceo-van-dijk-resigns-video |work=Bloomberg |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
On 18 September 2023, Naspers and Prosus announced that Bob van Dijk had stepped down as chief executive officer of both companies, effective immediately.<ref name="reuters-stepdown" /><ref name="itweb-stepdown">{{cite news |date=2023-09-18 |title=Bob van Dijk steps down as Naspers, Prosus CEO |url=https://www.itweb.co.za/article/bob-van-dijk-steps-down-as-naspers-prosus-ceo/KPNG878NRBOq4mwD |work=ITWeb |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> The departure was widely characterised in the media as abrupt. [[TechCrunch]] reported that van Dijk "abruptly steps down," while [[Reuters]] described the transition as involving the company's mergers and acquisitions chief, Fabricio Bloisi, who would take the helm alongside existing executives.<ref name="reuters-stepdown" /><ref name="techcrunch-stepdown">{{cite news |date=2023-09-17 |title=Prosus, Naspers CEO Bob van Dijk abruptly steps down |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/17/prosus-naspers-ceo-bob-van-dijk-abruptly-steps-down/ |work=TechCrunch |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


ITWeb, a South African technology news outlet, also confirmed the departure, reporting that the announcement was made by Naspers on the morning of September 18, 2023.<ref name="itweb">{{cite news |date=2023-09-18 |title=Bob van Dijk steps down as Naspers, Prosus CEO |url=https://www.itweb.co.za/article/bob-van-dijk-steps-down-as-naspers-prosus-ceo/KPNG878NRBOq4mwD |work=ITWeb |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
[[Bloomberg News]] reported that following his departure, van Dijk would remain as a consultant to the board of the companies.<ref name="bloomberg-resign">{{cite news |date=2023-09-18 |title=Prosus CEO Van Dijk Resigns From Tech Investing Firm and Its Parent Naspers |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2023-09-18/prosus-and-naspers-ceo-van-dijk-resigns-video |work=Bloomberg |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> The [[Financial Times]] contextualised the departure within the broader strategic questions facing Naspers, particularly regarding the Tencent stake and the persistent market discount.<ref name="ft-stepdown" />


The specific reasons behind van Dijk's sudden departure were not extensively detailed in the initial public announcements. However, the move came after years of investor pressure regarding the persistent discount to net asset value and questions about the strategic direction of the companies' non-Tencent investments. Van Dijk had spent more than nine years as group CEO, making him one of the longer-serving chief executives in the global technology investment space during a period of significant market volatility.
The [[BusinessLive]] publication, affiliated with South Africa's ''[[Business Day (South Africa)|Business Day]]'' newspaper, also confirmed the announcement of his departure.<ref name="businesslive-stepdown">{{cite news |date=2023-09-18 |title=Bob van Dijk steps down as CEO of Naspers and Prosus |url=https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/companies/telecoms-and-technology/2023-09-18-bob-van-dijk-steps-down-as-ceo-of-naspers-and-prosus/ |work=BusinessLive |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


=== Post-departure compensation ===
==== Post-Departure Compensation ====


Following his departure, van Dijk's compensation arrangements attracted media attention. According to a report by MyBroadband, a South African technology publication, van Dijk received R165.8 million (South African rand) from Naspers after he stepped down on September 18, 2023. The report noted that this amounted to approximately R2.2 million per month during the post-departure period, reflecting contractual obligations related to his consultancy arrangement and other separation terms.<ref name="mybroadband">{{cite news |date=2025-06-24 |title=The man who received R2.2 million per month after he left South Africa's largest tech company |url=https://mybroadband.co.za/news/investing/599763-the-man-who-received-r2-2-million-per-month-after-he-left-south-africas-largest-tech-company.html |work=MyBroadband |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
Following his departure, details emerged regarding the financial terms of van Dijk's exit. According to a 2025 report by MyBroadband, a South African technology news publication, van Dijk received approximately R165.8 million (South African rand) from Naspers after he stepped down on 18 September 2023. The publication calculated that this amounted to approximately R2.2 million per month during the period following his departure, reflecting the contractual arrangements associated with his consulting role and termination terms.<ref name="mybroadband-compensation">{{cite news |date=2025-06-24 |title=The man who received R2.2 million per month after he left South Africa's largest tech company |url=https://mybroadband.co.za/news/investing/599763-the-man-who-received-r2-2-million-per-month-after-he-left-south-africas-largest-tech-company.html |work=MyBroadband |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> The scale of the post-departure compensation attracted media attention in South Africa, where Naspers is one of the largest listed companies on the JSE.


== Personal Life ==
== Personal Life ==


Van Dijk is a Dutch national who was born and raised near [[Eindhoven]] in the [[Netherlands]].<ref name="bloomberg" /> Limited information about his personal life is available in public sources. During his tenure at Naspers and Prosus, he was based in the [[Netherlands]], where Prosus maintained its headquarters in [[Amsterdam]]. His public profile has been primarily defined by his professional career in the technology and investment sectors.
Bob van Dijk is a Dutch national.<ref name="bloomberg-profile" /> Beyond what is documented regarding his professional career and educational background, details of his personal life—including family information—have not been extensively reported in publicly available sources. He was based in the Netherlands during his tenure leading Prosus, which is headquartered in Amsterdam, though the dual-listed structure required engagement with both the South African and European operations of the group.
 
== Recognition ==
 
During his tenure as CEO of Naspers and Prosus, Bob van Dijk was a prominent figure in the global technology investment landscape. As head of two publicly listed companies with a combined portfolio spanning dozens of countries and multiple sectors of the internet economy, he was regularly featured in international business media, including the ''Financial Times'', ''Bloomberg'', and ''Reuters''.<ref name="ft" /><ref name="reuters" /><ref name="bloomberg-video" />
 
The creation and listing of Prosus on the Euronext Amsterdam in 2019 was one of the largest European technology listings and drew significant attention from the investment community. Van Dijk's role in orchestrating this listing and managing the complex corporate structure linking Naspers and Prosus placed him among the most closely watched executives in the intersection of emerging market technology and European capital markets.
 
His departure in September 2023 was covered extensively by leading global news outlets, including the ''Financial Times'', ''Reuters'', ''Bloomberg'', ''TechCrunch'', and numerous South African media organizations, reflecting the significance of his position and the unexpected nature of the announcement.<ref name="ft" /><ref name="reuters" /><ref name="techcrunch" /><ref name="itweb" />


== Legacy ==
== Legacy ==


Bob van Dijk's tenure at Naspers and Prosus spanned a transformative and often turbulent period for the global technology sector. He assumed the CEO role at a time when Naspers was already one of the most valuable companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, primarily due to its Tencent stake, and he oversaw the company's efforts to diversify its portfolio and establish an independent international presence through Prosus.
Bob van Dijk's tenure as CEO of Naspers and Prosus, spanning nearly a decade from April 2014 to September 2023, coincided with a period of significant structural change for both companies. The most notable organisational achievement during his leadership was the creation and listing of Prosus in 2019, which established a European-listed vehicle for Naspers' international internet assets and represented an attempt to address the persistent discount between Naspers' market capitalisation and the underlying value of its Tencent stake. The Prosus listing was one of the largest technology listings in European history at the time.
 
The creation of Prosus in 2019 represented one of the most significant corporate restructurings in the history of the South African and European technology sectors. By listing Prosus on Euronext Amsterdam, van Dijk and the Naspers board sought to unlock value for shareholders by giving international investors a direct avenue to invest in the Naspers internet portfolio without the complexities associated with the JSE listing.
 
However, the persistent discount to net asset value remained a challenge throughout van Dijk's tenure and was a central issue in the discourse surrounding his leadership. Despite efforts including share buybacks and the gradual monetization of the Tencent stake, the market continued to value both Naspers and Prosus at a discount to the sum of their parts. This issue, combined with the mixed performance of non-Tencent investments, shaped the narrative around van Dijk's legacy as CEO.


The open-ended Tencent share sale program initiated in 2022 was a strategic shift that acknowledged the need to actively manage the discount rather than rely solely on operational performance of portfolio companies to close the valuation gap. This approach represented a significant evolution in the companies' capital allocation strategy.
Under van Dijk, the Naspers and Prosus portfolio was expanded across multiple sectors of the global internet economy, including food delivery, online classifieds, payments, and education technology. The companies invested in and managed stakes in businesses operating in dozens of countries, making the group one of the largest technology investors outside the United States and China.


Van Dijk's post-departure compensation of R165.8 million, as reported by MyBroadband, also became part of the public discussion surrounding executive pay practices at major South African-listed companies.<ref name="mybroadband" />
However, the central challenge of van Dijk's tenure—narrowing the discount at which Naspers and Prosus traded relative to the value of their Tencent holding—remained largely unresolved at the time of his departure. The share swap and buyback programme initiated during his leadership represented a novel approach to this problem, but the market discount persisted as a source of investor frustration. The abruptness of his departure in September 2023, as characterised by multiple media outlets,<ref name="techcrunch-stepdown" /><ref name="reuters-stepdown" /> suggested a shift in board strategy and a desire for new leadership to tackle these enduring structural issues.


His career trajectory—from management consulting at McKinsey, through e-commerce at eBay and Allegro, to the helm of one of the world's largest technology investment groups—illustrates a path through the evolving landscape of global internet business in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Van Dijk's compensation arrangements after his departure also drew attention, reflecting broader discussions in South Africa and internationally about executive remuneration at large listed companies.<ref name="mybroadband-compensation" />


== References ==
== References ==
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[[Category:eBay people]]
[[Category:Dutch chief executives]]
[[Category:People from Eindhoven]]
[[Category:People from Eindhoven]]
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Latest revision as of 06:33, 24 February 2026



Bob van Dijk
BornTemplate:Birth year and age
BirthplaceNear Eindhoven, Netherlands
NationalityDutch
OccupationBusinessman, corporate executive
TitleGroup CEO, Naspers and Prosus (April 2014 – September 2023)
Known forFormer CEO of Naspers and Prosus
EducationINSEAD (MBA)
Erasmus University Rotterdam (MSc in Econometrics)

Bob van Dijk (born 1972) is a Dutch businessman who served as the group chief executive officer of Naspers, the South African multinational internet and media conglomerate, and its international subsidiary Prosus, from April 2014 until his resignation in September 2023.[1] During his nearly decade-long tenure atop one of Africa's largest companies by market capitalisation—and the single-biggest shareholder in China's Tencent—van Dijk oversaw the creation of Prosus as a separately listed European investment vehicle, navigated a complex portfolio of global internet businesses, and managed the persistent challenge of narrowing the discount between Naspers' market value and the worth of its underlying Tencent stake.[2] Before joining Naspers, van Dijk built a career in management consulting and e-commerce, working at McKinsey & Company and eBay.[3] He holds an MSc in econometrics from Erasmus University Rotterdam and an MBA from INSEAD.[3]

Early Life

Bob van Dijk was born in 1972 and grew up near Eindhoven, in the southern part of the Netherlands.[3] Eindhoven, historically associated with the electronics conglomerate Philips, is one of the Netherlands' principal technology and industrial centres. Details regarding van Dijk's family background and childhood have not been extensively documented in public sources.

Education

Van Dijk pursued his undergraduate and graduate studies in the Netherlands before obtaining an advanced degree in business abroad. He earned a Master of Science (MSc) in econometrics from Erasmus University Rotterdam, one of the leading research universities in the Netherlands with a strong reputation in economics and quantitative disciplines.[3] He subsequently obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from INSEAD, the international graduate business school with campuses in Fontainebleau, France, and Singapore.[3] His educational background combined quantitative analytical training with broad-based business management education, a combination that would inform his later career in management consulting and technology-focused corporate leadership.

Career

Early Career at McKinsey & Company

Van Dijk began his professional career as an associate at McKinsey & Company, the global management consulting firm.[3] McKinsey is one of the most prominent strategy consulting firms in the world, and an associate position there typically involves advising large corporations on strategic, operational, and organizational matters. The experience at McKinsey provided van Dijk with foundational exposure to corporate strategy across multiple industries and geographies. The precise duration of his time at the firm and the specific practice areas in which he worked have not been detailed in publicly available sources.

eBay

Following his time at McKinsey, van Dijk moved into the technology and e-commerce sector by joining eBay, the American multinational e-commerce company.[3] His role at eBay marked his entry into the internet and technology industry, a sector that would define the remainder of his career. The specifics of his tenure at eBay—including his title, the markets he oversaw, and the duration of his employment—are not comprehensively documented in available public sources, though the experience gave him operational familiarity with the global online marketplace business model.

Naspers: Allegro Division

Van Dijk's career took a significant turn when he joined Naspers, the South African internet and media group that traces its origins to the founding of the Afrikaans-language newspaper Die Burger in 1915 but had by the 2000s transformed itself into one of the world's largest technology investors. At Naspers, van Dijk initially served as the CEO of the Allegro division.[3] Allegro is a major online marketplace based in Poland that became one of the most prominent e-commerce platforms in Central and Eastern Europe. Under van Dijk's leadership of the division, he gained direct experience managing a large-scale internet business within the broader Naspers portfolio. His success in running the Allegro operations positioned him as a candidate for the group's top leadership role.

Group CEO of Naspers (2014–2023)

In late 2013, Naspers announced that Bob van Dijk had been appointed as the company's new group chief executive officer, effective 1 April 2014.[4] He succeeded Koos Bekker, the long-serving executive who had overseen Naspers' transformation from a traditional media company into a global internet conglomerate, most notably through its early investment in Tencent Holdings, the Chinese technology giant. At the time of van Dijk's appointment, he was described as a "company newcomer" relative to other senior executives within the Naspers organisation.[4]

Van Dijk's appointment came at a pivotal moment for Naspers. The company's approximately 31% stake in Tencent had grown to represent the overwhelming majority of Naspers' total market capitalisation, creating a structural challenge in which the market consistently valued Naspers at a significant discount to the sum of its underlying assets. This "Naspers discount" became one of the central strategic issues that van Dijk would grapple with throughout his tenure.

Creation of Prosus

One of the most significant structural decisions during van Dijk's tenure was the creation of Prosus, a separately listed international consumer internet subsidiary. Prosus was listed on the Euronext Amsterdam exchange in September 2019, with Naspers retaining a controlling stake. The rationale behind the listing was to provide a more appropriate European-listed vehicle for Naspers' international internet assets, including the Tencent stake and investments in companies spanning online classifieds, food delivery, payments, and education technology. The creation of Prosus was intended in part to address the persistent discount at which Naspers traded relative to the value of its Tencent holding, by giving international investors a more accessible entry point and reducing the outsized impact of the Naspers stock on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), where it had at times represented over 20% of the index's total weighting.

Van Dijk served simultaneously as the CEO of both Naspers and Prosus, overseeing a complex dual-listed corporate structure. Under this arrangement, Prosus held the international internet assets, including the Tencent stake, while Naspers retained control through its majority ownership of Prosus along with its South African media assets.

Portfolio Management and Strategic Direction

During van Dijk's tenure, Naspers and Prosus managed a globally diversified portfolio of internet and technology companies. The portfolio extended across numerous sectors including online classifieds (through investments in platforms such as OLX Group), food delivery (through investments in companies such as Delivery Hero, iFood, and Swiggy), payments and fintech (through PayU), and education technology (through investments in platforms such as Udemy and others).

A recurring strategic challenge throughout van Dijk's leadership was the question of how to unlock value from the Tencent stake while managing the discount. The company undertook a share swap and buyback programme through which Prosus gradually sold down portions of its Tencent holding to fund share repurchases of its own stock, seeking to narrow the discount in a tax-efficient and market-neutral manner. This open-ended programme represented a novel approach to the problem, though the discount proved resistant to narrowing significantly over the long term.

The Financial Times described Naspers under van Dijk as "the single-biggest shareholder in China's Tencent," underscoring the degree to which the Tencent investment remained the dominant feature of the company's valuation and investor profile.[2]

Departure in September 2023

On 18 September 2023, Naspers and Prosus announced that Bob van Dijk had stepped down as chief executive officer of both companies, effective immediately.[1][5] The departure was widely characterised in the media as abrupt. TechCrunch reported that van Dijk "abruptly steps down," while Reuters described the transition as involving the company's mergers and acquisitions chief, Fabricio Bloisi, who would take the helm alongside existing executives.[1][6]

Bloomberg News reported that following his departure, van Dijk would remain as a consultant to the board of the companies.[7] The Financial Times contextualised the departure within the broader strategic questions facing Naspers, particularly regarding the Tencent stake and the persistent market discount.[2]

The BusinessLive publication, affiliated with South Africa's Business Day newspaper, also confirmed the announcement of his departure.[8]

Post-Departure Compensation

Following his departure, details emerged regarding the financial terms of van Dijk's exit. According to a 2025 report by MyBroadband, a South African technology news publication, van Dijk received approximately R165.8 million (South African rand) from Naspers after he stepped down on 18 September 2023. The publication calculated that this amounted to approximately R2.2 million per month during the period following his departure, reflecting the contractual arrangements associated with his consulting role and termination terms.[9] The scale of the post-departure compensation attracted media attention in South Africa, where Naspers is one of the largest listed companies on the JSE.

Personal Life

Bob van Dijk is a Dutch national.[3] Beyond what is documented regarding his professional career and educational background, details of his personal life—including family information—have not been extensively reported in publicly available sources. He was based in the Netherlands during his tenure leading Prosus, which is headquartered in Amsterdam, though the dual-listed structure required engagement with both the South African and European operations of the group.

Legacy

Bob van Dijk's tenure as CEO of Naspers and Prosus, spanning nearly a decade from April 2014 to September 2023, coincided with a period of significant structural change for both companies. The most notable organisational achievement during his leadership was the creation and listing of Prosus in 2019, which established a European-listed vehicle for Naspers' international internet assets and represented an attempt to address the persistent discount between Naspers' market capitalisation and the underlying value of its Tencent stake. The Prosus listing was one of the largest technology listings in European history at the time.

Under van Dijk, the Naspers and Prosus portfolio was expanded across multiple sectors of the global internet economy, including food delivery, online classifieds, payments, and education technology. The companies invested in and managed stakes in businesses operating in dozens of countries, making the group one of the largest technology investors outside the United States and China.

However, the central challenge of van Dijk's tenure—narrowing the discount at which Naspers and Prosus traded relative to the value of their Tencent holding—remained largely unresolved at the time of his departure. The share swap and buyback programme initiated during his leadership represented a novel approach to this problem, but the market discount persisted as a source of investor frustration. The abruptness of his departure in September 2023, as characterised by multiple media outlets,[6][1] suggested a shift in board strategy and a desire for new leadership to tackle these enduring structural issues.

Van Dijk's compensation arrangements after his departure also drew attention, reflecting broader discussions in South Africa and internationally about executive remuneration at large listed companies.[9]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Naspers/Prosus CEO steps down, M&A chief Tu takes the helm".Reuters.2023-09-18.https://www.reuters.com/technology/naspers-prosus-ceo-bob-van-dijk-steps-down-2023-09-18/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Naspers chief Bob van Dijk to step down".Financial Times.2023-09-18.https://www.ft.com/content/d647abe0-1947-436a-92f6-7a1f76a831ae.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 "Bob van Dijk Profile".Bloomberg.https://web.archive.org/web/20200720131353/https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/17724748.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Naspers appoints Bob van Dijk as CEO".The Paypers.2014-07-09.https://thepaypers.com/payments/news/naspers-appoints-bob-van-dijk-as-ceo.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  5. ↑ "Bob van Dijk steps down as Naspers, Prosus CEO".ITWeb.2023-09-18.https://www.itweb.co.za/article/bob-van-dijk-steps-down-as-naspers-prosus-ceo/KPNG878NRBOq4mwD.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Prosus, Naspers CEO Bob van Dijk abruptly steps down".TechCrunch.2023-09-17.https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/17/prosus-naspers-ceo-bob-van-dijk-abruptly-steps-down/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  7. ↑ "Prosus CEO Van Dijk Resigns From Tech Investing Firm and Its Parent Naspers".Bloomberg.2023-09-18.https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2023-09-18/prosus-and-naspers-ceo-van-dijk-resigns-video.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  8. ↑ "Bob van Dijk steps down as CEO of Naspers and Prosus".BusinessLive.2023-09-18.https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/companies/telecoms-and-technology/2023-09-18-bob-van-dijk-steps-down-as-ceo-of-naspers-and-prosus/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "The man who received R2.2 million per month after he left South Africa's largest tech company".MyBroadband.2025-06-24.https://mybroadband.co.za/news/investing/599763-the-man-who-received-r2-2-million-per-month-after-he-left-south-africas-largest-tech-company.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.

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