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NgoLwesihlanu olwedlule iphephabhuku i-Forbes limemezele usozigidi wakuleli uJohann Rupert “njengomuntu ocebe kakhulu e-Afrika” lakhipha usozimali wase-Nigeria u-Aliko Dangote osebambe lesi sicoco iminyaka eyishumi ilandelana.
Isamba semali sikaRupert sibekwe ku-$12 billion kanti esikaDangote sifinyelela ku-$10.8 billion ngokwe-Forbes real-time Global Billionaires Ranking.
Imali kaDangote yehle kakhulu ngenxa yokwehla kwenani le-naira okubangelwe isinqumo sebhange elikhulu lase-Nigeria sokuthengisa idola ngenani eliphansi kakhulu kunentengo yemakethe esemthethweni – eshibhe ngo-30%.
URupert (73) owazalelwa e-Stellenbosch kuleli wazalwa usomabhizinisi u-Anton Rupert nonkosikazi wakhe uHurberte. Ufundele ezomnotho kanye nezomthetho wezinkampani enyuvesi yase-Stellenbosch kodwa washiya phansi ukuze enze umsebenzi webhizinisi.
Inyuvesi yanikeza uRupert iziqu zokuhlonishwa kwezomnotho ngo-2004 kwathi ngo-2008 wathola iziqu zobudokotela enyuvesi yaseNelson Mandela Metropolitan.
Ngemuva kokuchitha iminyaka emithathu e-New York eziqeqeshela ibhizinisi wabuyela kuleli ngo-1979 wasungula i-Rand Merchant Bank lapho aba umphathi khona kwaze kwaba ngo-1984 ngesikhathi inkampani ihlanganiswa yakha i-RMB Holdings.
Kamuva wajoyina inkampani kayise ekhiqiza ugwayi i-Rembrandt Group. Ngo-1988 uRupert wasungula i-Compagnie Financiere Richemont okuyinkampani ephethe izimpahla ezinze e-Switzerland. Ngawo lowo nyaka waqokwa njengomqondisi ongeyena umphathi we-Rothmans International plc waphinde wahlonishwa i-Sunday Times ngendondo “kasomabhizinisi wonyaka.”
Ngo-1989 uRupert waba iphini likasihlalo wenkampani kayise futhi waqokwa waba usihlalo enkampani efanayo i-Rembrandt Group Limited ngo-1991. Ngo-1997 waba usihlalo ongeyena umphathi we-Gold Fields South Africa Ltd.
Lo sozimali othanda igalofu usungule inhlangano i-Laureus Sport for Good. Le nhlangano ihloselwe ukubhekana nezinkinga zomphakathi ngezemidlalo nokuthi isize ngamaphrojekthi angaba ngu-675 emhlabeni jikelele.
Ushade noGaynor Rupert futhi banezingane ezintathu ndawonye; u-Anton Rupert Jr., uCaroline Rupert kanye noHanneli Rupert.