Candice-Jean van der Merwe is a model, someone who works on Instagram and sells or promotes products online as well as influencing people to visit the place or buy things by being a partner with them and constantly posting about it. She does not command a strong fan following on social media, with the model boasting close to 40,000 followers on the image-sharing site; but the reason she is famous is not because of the internet but because of the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Saad Hariri.
Born in 1992, the model is 27 years old and living her best life, traveling from place to place and making her money through modeling. She was born in South Africa where she completed her schooling and lived with her parents with a lavish lifestyle. Her father Gary van der Merwe was a helicopter tour business owner, but he was later arrested in 2004 when Gary tried to sell shares, which were deemed fraudulent. He was presented with a tax, fine and other bill charges which amounted to South African Rand 291 million.
Candice van der Merwe was said to be involved in a relationship with Saad Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon.
Source: Gulf News
South African Revenue Services (SARS) went after her father which resulted in Candice getting into the modeling business, and she was earning in the range of $5,000-$6,000 per year from her modeling and photoshoot commitments. But her life changed when the modeling agency she was involved with, Ice Models, sent her on a trip to the Playboy Mansion of Middle East.
Meeting the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Saad Hariri, and the $16 Million Gift
Candice van der Merwe was met, Saad Hariri, in 2012 while partying in Seychelles.
Source: Nick Boulton
In 2012 Candice got a job to go to Seychelles, at the Plantation Club on Mahe Island. She got on a plane, flew economy, and after reaching there, her phone and passport were taken, and she was barred from talking about the place or take images while she was there.
According to the model, the place was the playground for the rich, Arabs, Americans, Asians, if you’ve got billions (with a capital B in the bank) then you were welcome, and the exclusivity and anonymity offered by the place was the reason why it was so popular.
Saad Hariri was in Seychelles joining an exclusive party when he met Candice.
Source: Daily Mail, Reuters
Candice went through all the hoops, and she was there to entertain the guests and be with them while they stayed there. Then, the Instagram model caught the eye of Saad Hariri, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, who was also there while being on leave from his duty as the Prime Minister.
There was a quick connection between the two, well, it was her job to get close to the guests, but according to the court documents it was almost a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. While there, in his companionship, she mentioned in passing her love for the Audi R8 and Range Rover Evoque, and the same cars were waiting for her when she returned home to South Africa. She frequented the place, and the father of three and also a husband, Saad, kept meeting her between 2012 and 2013.
Candice van der Merwe was given cars worth more than $2.7 million and gifts amounting to a total of $16 million.
Source: Instagram
The reason this relationship came into the light was after he gifted the mode $16 million, and she enlisted her father’s help to get the money. As mentioned above, Sars (South African government agency) was keeping an eye on her father and then all of a sudden the model, whose net worth never went above $20,000, was in possession of over $16 million. The government agency thought the money was of her father and they were trying to seize it, but the model kept on insisting the money was a gift and exempt from any tax burdens from the government.
Candice's refusal to pay taxes on the alleged gift was the reason a court case was started against the model in 2013. While the court proceedings went along, she revealed the name of the person who gifted her such a large sum of money. Saad Hariri's name was mentioned and it was redacted from court documents but in 2019 the name came to light and the relationship between the two was revealed to the public.
After a few years of struggle, the model paid over $4 million in taxes, even though she was not required by the law. The name of the Prime Minister was still revealed from the court documents, which resulted in the model filing R1 billion suit against the Finance Minister of South Africa.
The Feud With Finance Minister of South Africa for R1 billion
Candice van der Merwe sued the government and the Finance Minister.
Source: Mail & Guardian
In 2018, Candice filed paperwork for suit against the Finance Minister of South Africa and sought damages in total-amount of R1 billion. The reason for the suit was because SARS which taxed her R44 million on the donation, which was not legal, failed to disclose the fact she received the money as a donation and it soured relationship for the model.
The lawyer of Candice said she lost all contact with Hariri, and now she is out of millions of dollars because her relationship with the Prime Minister of Lebanon was destroyed by the unlawful investigation by the government and SARS, especially.
Candice van der Merwe sued the government for damages caused to her career.
Source: Instagram
Also, the reason she was demanding R1 billion in damages was that not only her relationship with the deep-pocketed Hariri was damaged, she was also looked at differently after the court cases and people were not working with her because of all the government people surrounding her.
All of the attention from the government caused undue pressure on the model and her career which was both emotional and in monetary terms, which was why she was demanding such a high amount of money from the Finance Minister of South Africa.
After 2018, Relationship With Boyfriend and Fiancé, Are They Married?
Candice with her mystery boyfriend and fiance.
Source: Instagram
The model was going through a lot in her life, and she was also finding it hard to work after all the harassment by the government, but amidst, she found someone who was there for her, someone she can lean on after the relationship between the Instagram celebrity and her father soured. This mystery man swept Candice off her feet, and the two fell in love hard.
It was a quick deepening of the relationship between the two, and after the two lovebirds started seeing each other, Candice’s Instagram account was filled with the image of the two, snuggling and getting intimate. The man (name not revealed) looks like a model, with a jawline which can rival Ryan Goslings and body like the ones of the Olympians.
Candice van der Merwe and her mystery fiance.
Source: Instagram
The duo look adorable together, and about nine weeks ago while they were vacationing in Bali, the mystery man got on one knee and proposed, asked her to be his wife, and the beautiful 27-year-old model said "yes". The whole week, she kept showing off her square diamond ring, which was massive and equally beautiful as the two looked perfect, getting engaged and on the cusp of marriage.
There is no fixed date when it comes to the nuptial day of the couple, but seeing the excitement in both their eyes, Candice will walk down the aisle, pretty soon, and she is going to be one heck of a beautiful bride.
Visit Celebs In-depth for more biographies and gossip on all of your favorite celebrities.
