Anton Edward Rupert was one of the great entrepreneurs of South Africa. He dropped out of university due to a lack of funds and started a dry cleaning business. His extraordinary marketing eye soon caused him to change his career and with a loan of £10 he began producing cigarettes in his garage.
This venture grew into one of the biggest luxury and branded goods conglomerates in the world.
Johann Rupert is continuing the tradition created by his father in business, conservation and philanthropy. He started his career as a banker, working in New York for Chase Manhattan and Lazard Freres. Back home he headed the international arm of Rand Merchant
Bank.
Upon joining the Rembrandt Group, he began to diversify from the group’s base in alcohol and tobacco by forming Compagnie Financière Richemont in Switzerland, the umbrella of brands like Alfred Dunhill, Cartier, Montblanc, to name a few. Today, the Rupert conglomerates Remgro and Richemont of which Johann Rupert is chairman and CEO respectively, have annual sales of over $10 billion.