Trafigura

Trafigura Beheer BV is a Dutchmultinational commodity trading company founded in 1993 trading in base metals and energy, including oil. It is the world's third largest private oil and metals trader after Vitol and Glencore.

Trafigura was set up by Claude Dauphin and Eric de Turckheim. It split off from a group of companies managed by Marc Rich in 1993. Dauphin owns less than 20% of the company, with the rest owned by 500 senior staff.

Trafigura has been named or involved in several scandals, particularly the 2006 Côte d'Ivoire toxic waste dump, which left up to 100,000 people with skin rashes, headaches and respiratory problems. The company was also involved in the Iraq Oil-for-Food Scandal.

Trafigura has built or purchased stakes in pipelines, mines, smelters, ports and storage terminals.

History

Trafigura Beheer BV was established as a private group of companies in 1993 by six founding partners: Claude Dauphin, Eric de Turckheim, Graham Sharp, Antonio Cometti, Daniel Posen and Mark Crandall. Claude Dauphin, Executive Chairman, and the last remaining founder in an executive position, owns less than 20 per cent of the group’s equity while more than 700 senior managers control the rest.