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| Baki Balliu while being interviewed to local Albanian media |
Baki Balliu is an Albanian businessman who has a real success story. He is known as the Albanian emperor of diamonds in Africa. Invited to "ABC e Mëngjesit", Baki told the story of his life, how he turned from a welder into a powerful businessman and head of the African Chamber of Commerce.
He confessed that he first immigrated to Germany, got a trade, and thanks to the acquaintance he made with his partner, sells diamonds and gold all over the world.
"I have a mine with a partner in Africa, where we work, dig and find diamonds and gold.
Diamonds are not graded by size, but by cut and clarity. I happen to find them and sell them very cheaply. There are also artificial diamonds that have no value. I distinguish them.
I went from Mitrovica to Germany in 1990. After a while I started school there, and after two years I became a welder. After 2000, I was with my partner, one of the most powerful in Europe, and he went to Africa once a year. So did I, I worked with him.
I have seen the diamond issues in the movie. In Germany I was at the fair and there I met my partner. He is Jewish, he has been doing this job for many years. That's how the idea was born.
I initially, without much knowledge, went to see what it is. If I had the chance to do something or not. I went as a kind of tourist. Even quite by chance, I did my first business. I bought a stone that seemed very expensive to me, it was 13 thousand euros. I said all the time I was there, I risk you. Even after I came to Germany, I took it to this partner and he didn't know. But that diamond was worth 400 thousand euros and he processed it. That's where the idea to take it again started.