Anton Rupert: A Biography (Ebbe Dommisse)

Ebbe Dommisse, with cooperation of Willie Esterhuyse, Anton Rupert: A Biography. Cape Town: Tafelberg, 2006.

Hard cover, dustwrapper, 463 pages, plates.

Very good condition.

The extraordinary life story of South African tycoon and philanthropist, Drr Anton Rupert, told for the first time in full.

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, Rupert was no heir; neither did he 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 lifelong proponent of partnership and coexistence injustice, he put his passionand vast resourcesinto community development, leading to frequent clashes with the political leadership of the day. He has supported arts and culture, and conservationboth of buildings and of nature. One of his most ambitious projects, transfrontier parks, is a groundbreaking international innovation. 

This compelling book, based on extensive international research and many hours of conversation with Rupert, his family and people who know him well, will generate wide interest.