Everyone in South Africa knows of Johann Rupert. Not only is the 71-year-old entrepreneur the second wealthiest person on the African continent, he is also South Africa’s richest citizen. According to Forbes , the super wealthy Rupert currently boasts a bank balance of almost US$8 billion. Born to successful South African businessman and philanthropist Anton Rupert, the billionaire businessman founded Compagnie Financière Richemont in 1988, more commonly known as Richemont. The luxury goods business manages several high profile luxury brands; including Cartier, Dunhill, Piaget, Montblanc and Van Cleef & Arpels, among others. Rupert’s company is the third largest luxury goods company on the planet, trailing behind juggernauts LVMH and Estée Lauder, per Deloitte’s 2019 report on Global Powers of Luxury Goods. So how does the South African tycoon spend his billions? Let’s take a closer look. Homes Though he enjoys fame and fortune, Rupert is a notoriously private person who lives his life as much as possible away from the public eye. The Ruperts live in a huge home in Cape Town, South Africa. As per Briefly News, it has been reported that their mansion is worth over US$2.1 million (two million euros). Additionally, the Ruperts own swathes of South African farmlands, most notably L’Ormarins Wine Estate, which includes Drakenstein Stud Farm. The expansive wine estate is located in one of South Africa’s famed wine-producing regions, Franschhoek. 6 stars shunned by the Kardashians, from Blac Chyna to Larsa Pippen Cars Like many of his moneyed counterparts, a considerable amount of the Richemont CEO’s riches has been spent on motor vehicles. Cars are clearly one of Rupert’s real passions; in fact, his collection of cars is so great that he established the Franschhoek Motor Museum. The museum is open to the public and houses over 220 of Rupert’s personal automobiles, including many vintage vehicles and even some racing cars. Wines In 2001, Rupert’s brother Anthonij passed away in a car accident. Following this tragedy, Rupert assumed control of L’Ormarins Wine Estate in picturesque Franschhoek. As a means of honouring his late brother’s memory, Rupert began to expand the family’s viticultural operations. The Rupert portfolio of wines includes its flagship brand Anthonij Rupert Wyne, as well as a host of other popular local labels such as Protea, Cape of Good Hope Wines and L’Ormarins. Stretched over some 3,200 acres of land, L’Ormarins also features two tasting rooms, the Anthonij Rupert Tasting Room and the Terra del Capo Tasting Room, the range of wines started by the late Anthonij Rupert himself. Who was 19th-century merchant Howqua, the ‘Chinese Bill Gates of his day’? Sports In addition to wine, cars and property, Rupert has directed sizeable portions of his wealth towards sports and sport development. An athlete himself, Rupert is a former cricket player and a lover of golf. He developed the Leopard Creek Golf Club in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province. This is one of the country’s top rated courses, and was once ranked by Golf Digest as the 25th best course outside the USA. Rupert also bought a stake in professional English rugby team Saracens, until he sold his 50 per cent share to Nigel Wray in 2018. Beyond that, the South African billionaire founded the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, a charity organisation that aims to use sport to uplift communities. The organisation supports hundreds of sports programmes and initiatives in some 40 countries around the world. Charitable causes Rupert donates large portions of his funds towards charitable and philanthropic endeavours, mostly in the family’s homeland of South Africa. Through donations, the Rupert family supports dozens of organisations, institutions and charities. From education and conservation to arts and culture, the Ruperts have impacted the lives of many South Africans. Previously stated i.t.o. EFF Indaba, due to Rupert Family, especially late Dr. Anton Rupert and Mrs. Huberte Rupert, Johann Rupert’s incredible charity work — including giving poor communities houses and land is possible, take note ANC .. https://t.co/xcyY4PXajW via @mybroadband — Ricus Nieuwoudt (@RicusNieuwoudt) April 13, 2022 Rupert funds several bursary programmes and has given over 130 full title deeds to homes in some of South Africa’s townships, thereby providing much-needed shelter for some of the country’s most impoverished people. Where is former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries now? Finally, when South Africa’s economy faced the harsh effects of the restrictive measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, Rupert set up a relief fund by donating US$62 million. In so doing, Rupert provided financial aid to those most vulnerable and affected by the pandemic’s severe economic fallout. Want more stories like this? Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .