The extraordinary life story of South African tycoon and philanthropist Dr Anton Rupert.
It is the story of a Karoo boy who grew up during the Depression, struggled to find enough money to study science, and then made good as a businessman – spectacularly so, reaching the Forbes list of the 500 wealthiest people worldwide. Unlike Harry Oppenheimer, another South African millionaire, Rupert was no heir and did not make his millions from mining. His Rembrandt group of manufacturers became known across the globe, owning brands like Cartier, Dunhill, Rothmans and Montblanc. Within a few decades a family dynasty was built, making the Ruperts, next to the Oppenheimers, the richest family in Africa.
But Rupert was driven by more than the mere pursuit of wealth. A life-long proponent of partnership and coexistence in justice, he put his passion and vast resources into community development, leading to frequent clashes with the political leadership of the day. He supported arts and culture, and conservation – both of buildings and of nature. One of his most ambitious projects, transfrontier parks, was a ground-breaking international innovation.
A compelling book based on extensive international research and many hours of conversation with Rupert, his family and people who know him well.
About the author
Willie Esterhuyse was born in 1936 in Laingsburg. He studied at the University of Stellenbosch, where he obtained a D Phil. He lives in Stellenbosch, but he travels widely and is in demand as a speaker both in South Africa and internationally. He also writes columns and opinion pieces for local and international media.
Prof Esterhuyse’s numerous publications include Apartheid Must Die, Die pad van hervorming, Anton Rupert: Pleitbesorger vir hoop, The ANC and its Leaders, God en die gode van Egipte and Die God van Genesis. With Ebbe Dommisse he wrote the topseller Anton Rupert: A Biography. He was the compiler for Thabo Mbeki’s Africa: The time has come and Africa: Define yourself.
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