Johann Rupert

Photo by Warren Little / Getty Images

Nearly there! Johann Rupert is now *THIS* close to being worth $10 billion

Johann Rupert may soon join just 247 others in the official “$10 billion club” – and he’s seen his wealth increase dramatically this week…

Johann Rupert

Photo by Warren Little / Getty Images

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index has revealed that Johann Rupert’s net worth continues to soar this week, with an extra $200 million added onto his estimated fortune in the past week alone. South Africa’s richest citizen is now within touching distance of breaking into the $10 billion club

How much is Johann Rupert worth?

Johann Rupert has a vast network of wealth generation. His business ventures include a luxury watch company and an investment vehicle based in Stellenbosch. His profitable streak has seen him add $1.5 billion to his bank balance in the past 12 months. Well, at least someone’s had a pretty terrific pandemic.

According to the updated figures published on Thursday 9 September, Johann Rupert and his family are thought to be worth around $9.56 billion. That’s up from an estimate of $9.36 billion last week. Should the momentum carry through, Johann Rupert could end the year as a man with $10 billion – roughly R141 billion – to his name.

Bloody hell, it’s alright for some, isn’t it? Bet he’s not looking for loose change down his sofa a week before payday…

Johann Rupert, Nicky Oppenheimer, and political connections

The personal fortunes of South Africa’s richest citizens have come under the microscope on Thursday, as the second wealthiest person in SA – Nicky Oppenheimer – found his name associated with the DA. His sister, Mary Slack, donated R15 million to the party earlier this year, and the details were made public earlier today.

However, the DA was one of only three parties who actually complied with the laws of the Political Party Funding Act, and named all of their donations of R100 000 or above. So the moral high ground may not be accessible for some.

Who are the richest people in the world?

If Johann Rupert cracks the $10 billion milestone, it’ll be an amazing personal achievement – but he is still worth only 5% of the two richest people on the planet – as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos continue to jostle for the top spot.

The Tesla founder now has an estimated net worth of $204 billion. Jeff Bezos, meanwhile, is sitting with $203 billion. The pair are swapping positions daily, and both are significantly richer than they were this time last year.