Three days before his death, Wicknell Chivayo appeared to be reflecting on the extraordinary life he had built.
In posts shared on X and Instagram on September 27, Chivayo reflected on the presidents he had been photographed with, the powerful men of God whose homes he had entered, the dinners he had shared with celebrities and people of influence, and the friendships he had formed with some of Africa's most powerful figures.
It was not luck, he insisted; it was “the grace of God.”
“I remain deeply conscious that everything I have achieved, every door that has opened and every level I have reached comes from God Almighty,” he posted.
Then came a declaration as audacious as the life he had lived: “I WILL NEVER, EVER BE BROKE ANY SINGLE DAY OF MY LIFE.”
Zimbabwean Businessman Wicknell Chivayo during one of his numerous meetings with President William Ruto.
Photo credit: Pool
The words, written entirely in capital letters, read like a personal creed; an emphatic statement of the life he had built and the abundance he was determined never to lose.
For a man who made headlines with Rolls-Royces, private jets, lavish gifts and photographs alongside presidents, wealth was never merely a private possession. It was visible, extravagant and, in his words, blessed. He had built a life in which business, faith, celebrity and political access often occupied the same frame.
Chivayo was rarely seen without designer clothes and expensive watches, and his pictures almost always featured champagne-coloured cars parked outside luxury showrooms. He was fond of making social-media announcements telling musicians, pastors, church workers and strangers to go and collect vehicles that had already been paid for.
He called himself Sir Wicknell. And until his sudden death at 43 in a helicopter crash in Marondera area of Zimbabwe alongside his wife Lucy “Lulu” Muteke, he appeared determined to show that wealth is not meant to be a quiet affair. He documented his wealth, philanthropy, travels and relationships with some of Africa's most powerful people on social media. The crash killed all six people aboard, and authorities are now investigating the cause of the accident.
Chivayo occupied a peculiar space in African public life: businessman, celebrity, philanthropist and social-media personality. He was as comfortable around presidents as he was around musicians and pastors.
In Kenya, his relationship with President William Ruto was particularly visible. Chivayo was photographed with Ruto at State House and other locations, including the President's private residence in Kilgoris.
Zimbabwean Businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his Lucy Muteke with President William Ruto during the wedding engagement of Ruto's daughter, Charlene in Narok County.
Photo credit: Pool
In August this year, the business mogul filmed Ruto driving him towards a helipad after attending a traditional wedding engagement of Ruto's daughter, Charlene. Ruto was among the first African presidents to mourn Chivayo, describing him as a “dear friend.”
But the photographs only tell part of the story. Chivayo understood the power of an image. His social-media pages offered followers a front-row seat into a world of luxury cars, private aviation, five-star hotels, expensive gifts and encounters with political and religious leaders.
He was particularly fond of cars. Mercedes-Benzes, Range Rovers, Toyota Land Cruisers and Rolls-Royces became part of the Sir Wicknell image. But even owning expensive cars was not enough. He increasingly became known for giving them away.
A gift from Chivayo could mean a brand-new luxury SUV and tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. Musicians were among his most visible beneficiaries. Zimbabwean musician Jah Prayzah received several gifts, including a Range Rover Autobiography and a reported US$150,000 (Sh19 million) in cash. Other musicians received Mercedes-Benz vehicles, while religious leaders and church workers were also beneficiaries of his largesse.
In 2025, Chivayo gifted Zion Christian Church leader Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi a Range Rover reportedly worth US$400,000 (Sh51m) and his wife a Toyota Land Cruiser reportedly worth US$190,000 (Sh24m). When the Range Rover was damaged before delivery, he reportedly replaced it with a Mercedes-Maybach worth about US$550,000 (Sh71m).
The late businessman Wicknell Chivayo with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Photo credit: Courtesy | X/WicknellChivayo
His extravagance continued into the weeks before his death. On September 15, 2026, as President Emmerson Mnangagwa marked his 84th birthday, Chivayo pledged US$50,000 each (Sh6.5m) to 40 families of fallen Zimbabwean national heroes, taking the total value of the donation to US$2 million (Sh259m). He also announced gifts to church workers and religious leaders, including luxury vehicles and cash.
And his generosity was seldom anonymous. He often announced the gifts himself, naming the recipient, the vehicle, the showroom and sometimes the amount of cash waiting for them.
For this, one question followed Chivayo throughout his adult life: Where did all the money come from?
His principal business investment was Intratrek Zimbabwe, an engineering and construction company that builds large energy and renewable power projects in Zimbabwe. The company's most famous contract was the Gwanda Solar Project, a 100-megawatt solar plant initially valued at about US$172 million.
The project became embroiled in years of disputes and legal proceedings. Chivayo and Intratrek faced fraud allegations connected to the project, but the criminal case eventually ended in acquittal. However, the project itself remained the subject of prolonged legal and political battles.
Nevertheless, Chivayo’s wealth remained a subject of public fascination and scrutiny, and he never appeared particularly interested in hiding it. If anything, he appeared determined to make it visible.
From prison to presidential circles
In 2004, he was convicted of theft by false pretences and sentenced to three years in Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison. Years later, he would face further legal battles, including fraud allegations linked to the Gwanda Solar Project, but he was ultimately acquitted in that case.
The man who had once been behind prison walls would go on to appear in photographs with presidents, monarchs and senior political figures across the continent. And by 2026, his network stretched beyond Zimbabwe.
He was photographed with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on April 30, 2025 and maintained close ties with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa. In June this year, he received citizenship and a diplomatic passport from Eswatini's King Mswati III and announced plans for a major solar project there.
Zimbabwean Businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife Lucy Muteke with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Photo credit: Pool
Chivayo’s relationship with President Ruto became increasingly visible from 2025, when Chivayo began sharing photographs of himself with the President and describing their encounters publicly. Some meetings were formal, taking place at State House. Others were more personal.
The image of Ruto personally driving Chivayo and Lucy Muteke to their helicopter in August attracted widespread attention because of the unusual sight of a sitting African president behind the wheel while a foreigner filmed from the passenger seat.
Chivayo spoke about Ruto with open admiration, describing him as a friend, faith companion and mentor.
“I consider him a FATHER and mentor, whose guidance extends beyond areas of business and investment interests and ventures into matters of faith and ETERNAL DESTINY,” Chivayo wrote in a November 2025 social-media post after visiting Ruto at State House in Nairobi.
Zimbabwean Businessman Wicknell Chivayo with King Mswati III of Eswatini.
Photo credit: Pool
He also described Ruto's leadership in explicitly spiritual terms, saying that their conversations reflected “deep biblical insight and spiritual conviction.”
Indeed, Chivayo repeatedly presented himself as a man of faith. He identified strongly with the Johane Masowe Apostolic tradition and often linked his generosity to his Christian beliefs.
His biography on his website says he grew up in the Roman Catholic Church before joining Johane Masowe Echishanu at about 30. In a 2024 interview, he linked his philanthropy to his faith, saying his difficult early life had shaped his belief in giving and helping others.
Chivayo's first marriage was to Sonja Madzikanda in 2017, but their marriage broke down in 2024. Their protracted divorce dispute reached a partial settlement in April 2026, with Chivayo agreeing to pay US$5 million (Sh648m) towards the maintenance and investment of funds for their minor children.
According to Zimbabwe’s The Herald newspaper, Chivayo’s first marriage to Sonja Madzikanda involved lobola reportedly negotiated at US$50,000 (Sh6.4m), while reports surrounding his 2025 marriage to Lucy Muteke put the bride price at US$300,000 (Sh38m), a figure Chivayo himself disputed, saying he had paid less than US$20,000 (Sh2.5m).
Then came Lucy Muteke, known as Lulu, a Zimbabwean model and social-media personality. The couple married in 2025 and their relationship was presented publicly through photographs, celebrations and lavish events.
For Chivayo, family was another part of the public narrative, and he often spoke about his children and his love for his family.
