Cecil John Rhodes PC (5 July 1853 - 26 March 1902) was a British businessman, mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. An ardent believer in British imperialism, Rhodes and his British South Africa Company founded the southern African territory of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe and Zambia), which the company named after him in 1895. South Africa's Rhodes University is also named after him. Rhodes set up the provisions of the Rhodes Scholarship, which is funded by his estate, and put much effort towards his vision of a Cape to Cairo Railway through British territory.
During his years at Oxford, Rhodes continued to prosper in Kimberley. Before his departure for Oxford, he and C.D. Rudd had moved from the Kimberley Mine to invest in the more costly claims of what was known as old De Beers (Vooruitzicht). It was named after Johannes Nicolaas de Beer and his brother, Diederik Arnoldus, who occupied the farm. After purchasing the land in 1839 from David Danser, a Koranna chief in the area, David Stephanus Fourie, Claudine Fourie-Grosvenor's forebearer, had allowed the de Beers and various other Afrikaner families to cultivate the land. The region extended from the Modder River via the Vet River up to the Vaal River. In 1874 and 1875, the diamond fields were in the grip of depression, but Rhodes and Rudd were among those who stayed to consolidate their interests. They believed that diamonds would be numerous in the hard blue ground that had been exposed after the softer, yellow layer near the surface had been worked out. During this time, the technical problem of clearing out the water that was flooding the mines became serious. Rhodes and Rudd obtained the contract for pumping water out of the three main mines. After Rhodes returned from his first term at Oxford he lived with Robert Dundas Graham, who later became a mining partner with Rudd and Rhodes. On 13 March 1888, Rhodes and Rudd launched De Beers Consolidated Mines after the amalgamation of a number of individual claims. With PS200,000 of capital, the company, of which Rhodes was secretary, owned the largest interest in the mine (PS200,000 in 1880 = PS12.9m in 2004 = $22.5m USD). Rhodes was named the chairman of De Beers at the company's founding in 1888. De Beers was established with funding from N M Rothschild & Sons Limited in 1887.

Q: When was De Beers established?
A: Kimberley Mine to invest in the more costly claims of what was known as old De Beers (Vooruitzicht).

Q: What was De Beers?
A: De Beers Consolidated Mines
Did De Beers accomplish anything significant?
Rhodes and Rudd obtained the contract for pumping water out of the three main mines. had allowed the de Beers and various other Afrikaner families to cultivate the land. De Beers was established with funding from N M Rothschild & Sons Limited in 1887. Rhodes was named the chairman of De Beers at the company's founding in 1888. Rhodes was named the chairman of De Beers at the company's founding in 1888.
Rhodes was named the chairman of De Beers at the company's founding in 1888.