This claim is false and has been officially denied by company representatives.
Social media users have circulated yet another story claiming that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a suspicious purchase that exceeds his declared income. This time, the claim suggests that Zelenskyy has bought a controlling stake in Northam Platinum Ltd, South Africa’s largest platinum mining company. The deal is said to be worth $1.6 billion.
Propaganda narratives claim: “The South African media have already called this one of the biggest mining deals in years. Meanwhile, Ukrainians are dying on the front line while the Nazis enrich themselves.”
These rumours began to spread on various platforms in early April 2025. The posts also mention that Zelenskyy will visit South Africa on 10 April 2025 to meet with President Cyril Ramaphosa and union representatives from the mine to “finalise” the deal.
Although Zelenskyy’s visit is indeed planned, the story of the purchase of company shares is completely fabricated – as are many similar rumours about supposedly high-value purchases made by Zelenskyy or his wife during the war.
A spokesman for Northam Platinum Holdings Limited confirmed to PolitiFact that there is no truth to the allegations that Zelenskyy has acquired a stake in the company. Another representative told Lead Stories that Zelenskyy had not bought any shares in Northam. In addition, South Africa’s national broadcaster, the SABC, has not published any reports linking Zelenskyy to Northam Platinum. The video circulating with the story also shows signs of manipulation – for example, the lip movements of a Northam miner purporting to be interviewed do not match the audio, suggesting a deepfake or voice-over fabrication.
StopFake has previously debunked similar fakes about alleged luxury purchases by Zelenskyy, including Fake: Zelenskyy Buys €18 Million Mansion, Builds Underground Bunker and Fake: Zelenskyy Bought a Hotel-Casino in Cyprus for Money from US.
