Haiti’s Irish miracle worker is billionaire Denis O’Brien

Millions promised after quake but only he delivered

CATHY HAYES,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Monday, January 10, 2011, 4:09 AM

Updated Monday, January 10, 2011, 4:45 AM

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Denis O'Brien in Haiti

O'Brien, who made his initial fortune with the sale in 2001 of his Irish mobile-phone network Estat, was estimated by Forbes magazine in 2009 to be worth $2.2bn. He then established Digicel in Jamaica. Before Digicel arrived in Haiti in 2006, only 5% of the population used mobile phones; today 30% own one. With a total investment of more than $300m over the past four years, O'Brien has become the single largest investor in the country.

Named by the mayor of Port-au-Prince as the city's "Goodwill Ambassador" to the world, O’Brien has donated $5m to the Haiti Relief charity and a further $800,000 was raised for Haiti by a "text and donate" appeal to Digicel's mobile-phone customers in other parts of the Caribbean and Central America.

O'Brien claims to love Haiti better than the governing Haitians. "Even if a lot of the Haitian elite don't believe in their country," he told Time magazine, "I do."

Forbes' film, From Haiti's Ashes, will be shown on the BBC.

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jacersagain | Jan 11, 2011, 04:15 PM EST

This is the first bit of positive news that I’ve heard on Haiti’s recovery. People are right to ask where their contributions are lying, since not much appears to have been done for the homeless citizens with our donations. On another level, d’yaz think that Dennis could give Ireland Inc a donation to boost us back on our feet? After all, didn’t we Irish give him (and Michael Lowry?) a boost up through the high prices he charged us Irish people in his Esat cell-phone business days? Just a bit of payback of the billions he's made out of milking us would do nicely, please and thank you.

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Monsoonman | Jan 11, 2011, 03:39 PM EST

... munchausens syndrome by proxy, is my qualified opinion.

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GeorgeDillon | Jan 11, 2011, 05:52 AM EST

Searlit, You're correct, but I don't think sirpeter is able to help himself. He needs intervention by qualified staff in one of the psychiatric disciplines. Tourette Syndrome, at a minimum.

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Searlit | Jan 10, 2011, 06:07 PM EST

Thanks sirpeter. The simple truths also surround us all but we are sometimes too worried about falling into the abyss that we don't recognize them. By helping others we help ourselves.

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sirpeter | Jan 10, 2011, 03:32 PM EST

Searlit...I look at your post,It reminds me of Shildlers list..It's a compleat good... and all around the edges lies the abyss. Well Done!! ;))

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Searlit | Jan 10, 2011, 11:46 AM EST

If each person helps in whatever way they can the world becomes a little better place because of that.

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Monsoonman | Jan 10, 2011, 11:00 AM EST

Where's the millions in Haiti aid that clinton has been incharge of these past several years and especially after the quake. Anyone?

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seamusmoore | Jan 10, 2011, 09:53 AM EST

Maybe the Irish trait of begrudgery isn't such a great idea after all. Interesting, though, how successful individuals from the private sector seem to be able to accomplish things that govt's can't and they are doing it out of their own compassion.

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