SalMar heir Gustav Witzøe junior to be a father

Two months ago he revealed that he was in a serious relationship with an American girl, Alexis Fernandez.

Now he has said on his podcast this week that they are expecting their first child in the Spring which will add a new generation to the formidable Witzøe Atlantic salmon farming family.

He added: “For me it’s private, so I’ve tried not to answer it. But then there are limits to how long you shouldn’t talk about it. Eventually it’s okay to be open about it.”

Gustav Magnar Witzøe, officially Norway’s richest man, is estimated to be worth around NOK 30 billion – or some £2 billion sterling.

There are richer people involved in Norway’s fish farming sector but they have given up their Norwegian citizenship. One such person is the ship owner John Fredriksen, who is also the largest shareholder in Mowi but is now a citizen of Cyprus.

Witzøe junior owns most of the shares in the family’s holding company Kvarv, which is, among other things, a major owner of Salmar and the family’s investment vehicle.

Witzøe said at the time that he and Fernandez have lived together in Norway for the past couple of years.

At one time it was thought he wanted to remain outside the industry and it was reported he had considered moving to Switzerland. Late last year, however, he revealed that he had joined the board of Kvarv, a move which he said was motivated by a sense of responsibility.