wˈɪljəmz wʌz klˈoʊsli ɐsˈoʊsɪˌeɪɾᵻd, vˈɛɹiəsli æz ɐn ɛmplˈɔɪiː ʌv, ɐdvˈaɪzɚ tuː, ænd pˈɑːɹtnɚ wɪð sˈɛsəl ɹˈoʊdz ɪn hɪz mˈɛni ˈɛntɚpɹˌaɪzᵻz fɹʌmðə tˈaɪm ʌv ðɛɹ fˈɜːst mˈiːɾɪŋ ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈaɪv æt ðə də bˈɪɹz dˈaɪəmənd mˈaɪn ɪn kˈɪmbɚli ʌntˈɪl ɹˈoʊdzᵻz dˈɛθ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd tˈuː.
Williams was closely associated, variously as an employee of, advisor to, and partner with Cecil Rhodes in his many enterprises from the time of their first meeting in 1885 at the de Beers diamond mine in Kimberley until Rhodes's death in 1902.