Eugene Cussons was born on the 6th July 1979, in Transvaal Province, South Africa, and is an animal rights activist, best known to the world for opening the Chimp Eden in 2006, with the help of the Jane Goodall Institute. Also, he came to prominence by hosting the show on Animal Planet “Escape to Chimp Eden” from 2009 to 2011.
Have you ever wondered how rich Eugene Cussons is, as of mid- 2017? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Cussons’ net worth is as high as $500,000, an amount earned through his successful career, which has been active since the mid- 2000s.
Eugene Cussons Net Worth $500,000
Eugene was born into a family that already had a connection with African wildlife, and as he grew up, he nurtured the love for the African wilderness that his parents had implanted in him.
Although, after he finished high school he enrolled at the University of Pretoria where he studied business management and economics, then found a job as a software developer and created software for financial trading applications. However, that didn’t last long as he soon realized that office work was not for him, so he returned home and started building Chimp Eden.
In collaboration with one of the largest global wildlife and environmental conservation organizations, the Jane Goodall Institute, Eugene opened Chimp Eden in 2006, and soon after also became the Rescue Director of JGI South Africa. Through his Chimp Eden, he focused on rescuing chimpanzees from the most dangerous areas that chimps inhabit, including war-stricken countries such as Angola and Sudan. After years of successful management of the shelter, Eugene stepped down from the Managing Director position, and announced that JGI South Africa would take full charge of the Chimp Eden. Although he left his official position, Eugene and his entire family are strictly intertwined with the organization, providing essential support services to the sanctuary, while also being guardians of the Umhloti Nature Reserve.
Since leaving Chimp Eden, Eugene has joined the global movement Generation Now, and serves as its Executive Director and ambassador.
To speak further of his endeavors, Eugene hosted the TV show “Escape to Chimp Eden” on the Animal Planet channel between 2009 and 2011, and in 2011 he published the book “Saving Chimpanzees”, the sales of which increased his net worth too. Two years after the official release of the book, Eugene added a chapter to the original edition that depicts the terrible incident in which chimps attacked a researcher at Chimp Eden in 2012.
Regarding his personal life, Eugene is married to Natasha with whom he has one child, a daughter named Haley.
He developed several skills needed for exploring the most dangerous wilderness of Africa, and as a result, he became quite a skilled rock climber, skydiver and boat skipper, in addition to being a certified pilot and off-road driver. At one time, he was head instructor for the Land Rover Experience in South Africa, which also contributed to his wealth.
