’n Ongekende opkoms van Afrikaner-magnate het die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie die afgelope drie dekades gekenmerk. Dit is veral merkwaardig in die lig van die regering se omvattende program van swart ekonomiese bemagtiging.

Vandag ding talle van hulle internasionaal mee. Onder leiding van Koos Bekker het Naspers die Johannesburgse aandelebeurs begin domineer en is die mediagroep omvorm tot ’n internasionale beleggingshouergroep wat op e-handel en die internet fokus. Johann Rupert het Richemont in die naasgrootste groep in die mark vir luukse goedere gevestig, terwyl Christo Wiese en Whitey Basson onderskeidelik Pepkor en Shoprite tot Afrika se grootste kleinhandelgroepe in klerasie en voedsel uitgebou het.

Fortuine verduidelik hoe hierdie en ander sakeleiers, waaronder Jannie Mouton, Michiel le Roux, GT Ferreira, Laurie Dippenaar, Roelof Botha, Hendrik du Toit en ’n aantal megaboere, hul sakeryke tot stand gebring het. Dit beskryf hul lewens- en sakefilosofieë en wat van hulle sulke suksesvolle entrepreneurs maak.

In onlangse tye het die ineenstorting van Steinhoff Internasionaal, die meubelhandelaar met Markus Jooste aan die stuur, ’n groot hap uit sommige van hierdie fortuine geneem. Jooste is die fokus van een van die hoofstukke, terwyl dit in ’n ander op die filantropiese projekte van hierdie superrykes val.

Die verstommende storie van ’n sakelegende wat een van Afrika se welvarendste maatskappye uit niks opgebou het.

Anton Rupert was 'n Karooseun wat in die Depressie grootgeword het, en dit skaars kon bekostig om te gaan studeer, maar sy Rembrandt groep word uiteindelik ʼn wêreldleier in o.m. luukse goedere. Wat was Rupert se geheim? Rupert se oorspronklike sienings oor die skepping van werk en welvaart in ‘n sukkelende ekonomie is sy blywende nalatenskap met diepgaande lesse vir Suid-Afrika vandag. Sy storie is meer relevant as ooit.

Hier vertel die gesoute sakeskrywer Ebbe Dommisse die volle verhaal, vol kleur en anakdotes, in dié opgedateerde uitgawe van sy hoogaangeskrewe biografie van Rupert.

The past three decades have seen a remarkable rise of Afrikaners in business. In light of the government’s comprehensive black economic empowerment programme this has been one of the unexpected features of the South African economy.

Today many of these Afrikaner tycoons are competing internationally. With Koos Bekker at its helm, media group Naspers began dominating the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and was turned into a global consumer internet group. Johann Rupert strongly extended Richemont’s share internationally in the upper-end market of luxury goods, while Christo Wiese and Whitey Basson at Pepkor and Shoprite became Africa’s largest clothing and food retailers.

Fortunes describes how these and other business leaders, such as Jannie Mouton, Michiel le Roux, Douw Steyn, Roelof Botha, Hendrik du Toit and a number of commercial farmers, built their empires. It looks at their life and business philosophies and what makes them such successful entrepreneurs.

Recent years have also seen the sensational collapse of Steinhoff International, the furniture retailer led by Markus Jooste that destroyed some of these fortunes. While Jooste is the topic of one of the chapters, another looks at the philanthropic projects most of these tycoons are involved in.

** South African Number One Bestseller ** A comprehensive work based on personal interviews and insider knowledge - bound to become a classic. The past three decades have seen a remarkable rise of Afrikaners in business. With Koos Bekker at its helm, media group Naspers began dominating the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and was turned into a global consumer internet group. Johann Rupert strongly extended Richemont's share internationally in the upper-end market of luxury goods, while Christo Wiese and Whitey Basson at Pepkor and Shoprite became Africa's largest clothing and food retailers. Fortunes describes how these and other business leaders, such as Jannie Mouton, Michiel le Roux, Douw Steyn, Roelof Botha, Hendrik du Toit and a number of commercial farmers, built their empires. It looks at their life and business philosophies and what makes them such successful entrepreneurs. Recent years have also seen the sensational collapse of Steinhoff International, the furniture retailer led by Markus Jooste that destroyed some of these fortunes. While Jooste is the topic of one of the chapters, another looks at the philanthropic projects most of these tycoons are involved in.