Jose Eduardo dos Santos Biography: Wife, Age, Net Worth, Pictures, Height, Children

José Eduardo dos Santos‘ is an Angolan politician and military officer who served as the president of Angola from 1979 to 2017.

His long and controversial reign as president of Angola spanned nearly four decades. During his rule, he maintained a tight grip on power, serving as both the commander-in-chief of the military and the leader of the ruling party.

Despite facing criticism and allegations of corruption and human rights abuses, dos Santos remained in power until 2017, making him one of the longest-serving leaders in Africa.

His departure marked a significant moment in Angola’s history, as the country prepared for its first presidential transition in almost 40 years.

Profile

• Full Name: Jose Eduardo dos Santos
• Stage Name: Jose Eduardo dos Santos
• Born: 28 August 1942
• Died: 8 July 2022 (age 79 years), Barcelona, Spain
• Birthplace: Luanda, Angola
• Nationality: Angolan
• Occupation: Angolan politician and military officer
• Height: 5’8
• Parent: Avelino Eduardo dos Santos ,Jacinta José Paulino
• Siblings: 3, Marta dos Santos, Luís Eduardo dos Santos, Lucrecio Eduardo dos Santos, and Avelino Eduardo dos Santos
• Spouse: Ana Paula dos Santos (m. 1991–2022), Tatiana Kukanova (m. 1966–1979), Maria Luísa Abrantes Perdigão ,Filomena Sousa
• Children:10, Isabel dos Santos, Welwitschia José dos Santos, Coréon Dú, José Filomeno dos Santos, Eduardo Breno Lemos Santos, Eduane Danilo Lemos Santos, Josias dos Santos, José Avelino Gourge Santos and Houston Lulendo Lemos Santos
• Relationship: married
• Net Worth: $4 billion

Early Life And Education

José Eduardo dos Santos was a prominent Angolan politician who served as the country’s second President from 1979 to 2017.

He was born on 28 August 1942 in Luanda, Angola, and was raised by his parents Avelino Eduardo dos Santos and Jacinta José Paulino.

He grew up with four siblings: Marta dos Santos, Luís Eduardo dos Santos, Lucrecio Eduardo dos Santos, and Avelino Eduardo dos Santos.

Dos Santos was from the district of Sambizanga in Luanda and followed the Christian faith. He joined the anti-colonial movement MPLA while still in school and studied in the Soviet Union, where he earned degrees in petroleum engineering and radar communications.

After the Angolan War of Independence, he became the leader of the MPLA and helped establish Angola as a Marxist-Leninist one-party state.

Career

José Eduardo dos Santos was a prominent political figure in Angola, serving as the country’s president from 1979 to 2017.

He was also a key member of the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), a political party that played a significant role in the country’s struggle for independence from Portugal.

Dos Santos joined the MPLA in 1970 and served as a member of their military wing, the People’s Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA).

He held various positions in the MPLA, including representative to several countries, before being elected to the Central Committee and Politburo in 1974.

José Eduardo dos Santos was a prominent figure in the MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) party, holding various positions within the party and the government of Angola.

He played a crucial role in obtaining international recognition for the MPLA government after Angola gained its independence from Portugal in 1975.

Despite his initial involvement in the MPLA’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Health, dos Santos eventually became the country’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1975.

He was re-elected to the Central Committee and Politburo at the MPLA’s First Congress in 1977 and later served as Minister of Planning in 1978.

José Eduardo dos Santos served as the president of Angola from September 21, 1979, until September 26, 2017.

He was also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and the President of the People’s Assembly of Angola, which was a one-party state at the time.

He took office after the natural death of Angola’s first president, Agostinho Neto, in 1979 and remained in power for 38 years until he stepped down in 2017. dos Santos‘ presidency was marked by political and economic instability in Angola.

José Eduardo dos Santos faced numerous challenges during his presidency, but one of the most pressing issues was the ongoing conflict with the National Union for the Total Integration of Angola (UNITA), a rival liberation movement led by Jonas Savimbi.

Despite being the ruling government of Angola, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by dos Santos, never gained full recognition from UNITA and faced multiple armed conflicts as a result.

The war was further complicated by foreign intervention, with the Soviet Union and Cuba supporting the MPLA government and the United States and South Africa backing UNITA.

To limit the expansion of Soviet influence in Africa, the United Nations conducted two verification missions in Angola from 1989 to 1995.

Social Media

José Eduardo dos Santos’s social media accounts are unknown to the media.

Personal Life

José Eduardo dos Santos was a prolific father, having been married at least twice and possibly as many as four times, depending on the source.

He had at least six children with his wives and one born out of wedlock. His first marriage was to Tatiana Kukanova, a Russian-born geologist whom he met while studying in the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (present-day Azerbaijan).

They had one daughter together, Isabel dos Santos, who at one point was the richest woman in Africa.

However, their marriage ended in divorce. Dos Santos went on to have two more marriages or long-term relationships, both of which also ended in divorce or separation.

With his second wife, Filomena Sousa, he had one child, José Filomeno dos Santos, also known as “Zenú,” who later served as chairman of Fundo Soberano de Angola.

José Eduardo dos Santos was married four times, with his third and fourth marriages being the most notable.

His third wife, Maria Luísa Abrantes Perdigão, was the mother of his two children, Welwitschia “Tchize” dos Santos and Coréon Dú.

After their divorce, dos Santos married his fourth and final wife, Ana Paula de Lemos, with whom he had three children.

Despite their divorce, they remained married until he died in 2022. As of 2017, one of their children, Eduane Danilo, was involved in various business ventures in Angola.

José Eduardo dos Santos was a controversial figure in Angolan politics, having ruled the country for 38 years until his retirement in 2017.

He faced numerous accusations of corruption and human rights violations during his time in power.

Despite this, he was given a state funeral in August 2022, attended by several African leaders and Portugal’s president.

However, his death was shrouded in mystery, with rumours of a medical problem and a long battle with cancer.

He ultimately passed away at the age of 79 after suffering from a cardiorespiratory arrest and testing positive for COVID-19.

Net Worth

José Eduardo dos Santos is a controversial figure in Angola, with many accusing him of corruption and human rights abuses during his 38-year reign as president.

Despite this, he has amassed a fortune of approximately $4 billion, making him one of the wealthiest politicians in Africa.

His vast wealth has raised questions about the source of his income and the exploitation of Angola’s natural resources during his presidency.