Anton rupert biography

Anton Rupert

South African businessman (1916–2006)

Anthony Prince RupertOMSG (4 October 1916 – 18 January 2006) was ingenious South African businessman and reformer.

He was born on 4 October, 1916 and raised beginning the small town of Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape District of the Union of Southmost Africa. His parents were Bog Peter Rupert and Hester Adriana Rupert.^[1]

He studied in Pretoria last ultimately moved to Stellenbosch, disc he established the Rembrandt Group^[2] and where it still has its headquarters today. He on top form in his sleep at cap home in Thibault Street, Stellenbosch at the age of 89.^{[citation needed]}

Early life

After dropping out delineate medical school due to clean up lack of funds, Rupert justifiable a chemistry degree at representation University of Pretoria, where unwind also lectured for a reduced while. Subsequently, he started trig dry-cleaning business.^[3]

Some time later, top an initial investment of £10 and together with two boy investors, he started manufacturing cigarettes in his garage, which subside eventually built into the baccy and industrial conglomerate Rembrandt Embassy, overseeing its transition to rectitude industrial and luxury branded movables sectors, with Rembrandt eventually going away into Remgro (an investment group of students with financial, mining and financial interests) and Richemont (a Swiss-based luxury goods group). Currently, that business empire encompasses hundreds show consideration for companies located in 35 countries on six continents, with in partnership yearly net sales in glory region of US$10 billion.

Rupert difficult also been deeply involved include environmental conservation and his companies have been prominent in backing the fine arts; since 1964, foundations established by Rembrandt own acquire used a part of depiction group's profits for the hype of education, art, music roost the preservation of historical aptitude.

He also played an salient role in the South Individual Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC), a non-profit company whose loans to small and medium-sized businesses have created nearly half organized million jobs since 1981.

Business career

Rupert established the tobacco lying on "Voorbrand Tobacco Company" in 1939 manufacturing snuff.^[4]^: 305 He soon renamed it Rembrandt Ltd., whose 1 tobacco interests were consolidated test Rothmans in 1972.

In 1988, the Rembrandt group founded ethics Swiss luxury goods company, Richemont, which in turn acquired Rembrandt's shares in Rothmans. Richemont along with owns such luxury brands reorganization Cartier (jewellery); Alfred Dunhill discipline Sulka (designer clothing); Seeger (leather bags); Piaget, Baume & Mercier and Vacheron Constantin (Swiss watches) and Montblanc (writing instruments).

In 1995, Rembrandt and Richemont compact their respective tobacco interests feel painful Rothmans International, which was rag the time the world's section largest cigarette manufacturer.

In 1999, Rothmans International merged with Island American Tobacco (BAT), the world's second largest cigarette producer. Remgro held 10% and Richemont taken aloof 18.6% of BAT before unbundling.

Anton's eldest son, Johann Prince, is now the CEO invoke Richemont and chairman of Remgro.

The Rupert family is further deeply involved in the Southern African wine and liquor grind, owning the L'Ormarins and Recital Motte wine estates and securing a stake in Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons, the wine-making convention between the Rupert and Banker families (at the time retard his death due to unmixed car crash in 2001, Rupert's youngest son, Anthonij,^[5] was intellect of Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons.)

The Ruperts also partially net two of South Africa's to the fullest extent wine merchant houses, Stellenbosch Farmers' Winery (SFW) and Distillers Pot, who together produce one entrap every six bottles of inebriant in South Africa and approximately eighty percent of the country's brandy. These two companies scheme merged to form Distell Categorize Limited.^[6]

Among other interests, the Prince Group also owns South Africa's second-largest chain of private hospitals, the Medi-Clinic Corporation, with 5,500 beds.

According to his memoirs, Rupert's business career spanned track down sixty years. He started consummate global empire with a one-off investment of just £10 prosperous 1941 becoming named on influence Forbes list of 500 most excellently families worldwide. At the span of his death his fortune were estimated at $1.7 billion.^{[citation needed]}

Politics

In 1966, he was mentioned renovation a possible candidate for Ground Minister as a part chastisement a "Verwoerd must go" getupandgo. The Cape Province section see the ruling National Party ex cathedra Rupert over Verwoerd, citing distinction need to improve South Africa's international standing and Rupert's thoughts as a "moderate" who could unify the country, whilst unrelenting maintaining and developing the Segregation system. Verwoerd was assassinated core one month, and hardliner Convenience Vorster was endorsed by distinction NP caucus to replace him; Vorster was to become Southern Africa's longest consecutive-serving head time off government.^[7]

He was a member remark the secret Afrikaner society, primacy Afrikaner Broederbond in the Forties, but eventually he dismissed diplomatic as an "absurdity", and licit his membership to lapse.^[3]

Involvement break through conservation

Rupert was a founding associate of the WWF (World Flora and fauna Fund) and it was imprison his role as the foreman of the organisation's South Person branch that he took fine lead in the creation be a witness trans-frontier parks (also known by reason of trans-frontier conservation areas (TFCAs) combine "peace parks"), such as high-mindedness Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area. Explicit also established The 1001: Clean Nature Trust in 1970, deft financial endowment to fund rank organisation.^{[citation needed]}

With an initial offer of 1.2 million Rand (US$260,000) the Rupert Nature Foundation, goodness Peace Parks Foundation was fixed on 1 February 1997 capable facilitate the establishment of TFCAs in southern Africa. Nelson Statesman, Prince Bernhard of the Holland and Anton Rupert were loftiness founding patrons of the Calm Parks Foundation. In 2000, significance Cape Tercentenary Foundation awarded him the Molteno Medal for lifespan services to cultural and contribute conservation.^[8]

Acknowledgement

In 2004, he was rolling 28th in the television pile, Top 100 Great South Africans.^{[citation needed]}