Key Factors
- Johann Rupert added $488 million in a day, pushing his 2025 web value features to $2.16 billion—Africa’s largest billionaire achieve up to now.
- Richemont shares have surged 14% in a month, lifting its market worth to $100 billion and boosting Rupert’s stake to $11.5 billion.
- Richemont’s $609.7 million sale of YNAP erased associated debt, letting Rupert refocus the group on core luxurious manufacturers like Cartier and Chloé.
South African billionaire Johann Rupert has added one other $488 million to his fortune in simply 24 hours, pushing his web value features for the yr again above $2 billion. The increase cements his place as Africa’s second-richest particular person, behind Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote.
Rupert provides $2.16 billion in 2025
In response to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Rupert’s web value rose from $15.3 billion to $15.8 billion inside a single day, persevering with a streak that has outlined his wealth features in current months. This leap follows an earlier $800 million gain between April 14 and Might 12, when his fortune grew from $14.5 billion to $15.3 billion. Altogether, Rupert has added $2.16 billion to his wealth in 2025, the very best amongst African billionaires up to now this yr.
The primary driver behind this surge is the recent rally in the share price of Richemont, the Swiss luxurious group he chairs. Over the previous month, Richemont’s inventory has climbed greater than 14 p.c on the SIX Swiss Alternate, lifting its market worth to round $100 billion.
Rupert’s Richemont stake hits $11.5 billion
Rupert owns a ten.18 p.c stake in Richemont, the dad or mum firm of prestigious manufacturers like Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Chloé. That stake is now value roughly $11.5 billion. By a mixture of “A” and “B” shares, he additionally controls 51 p.c of the corporate’s voting rights—giving him vital affect over its course.
The current uptick in Richemont’s share price got here on the heels of a strategic sale: its long-struggling on-line trend retailer, YOOX NET-A-PORTER (YNAP). On April 24, Richemont finalized the sale of YNAP to MYT Netherlands Father or mother B.V., the corporate behind Mytheresa, for $609.7 million. In return, Richemont acquired 49.7 million Mytheresa shares—a few third of the corporate’s totally diluted fairness—and a €555 million money payout.
Richemont clears debt, embraces new period
With regulatory approvals now accomplished, the deal additionally included a rebranding of YNAP to LuxExperience B.V., which trades beneath the ticker “LUXE.” The transaction left Richemont freed from any debt tied to YNAP and relieved it of operational tasks. Richemont can now sharpen its concentrate on its core portfolio, whereas Mytheresa takes the lead in digital luxurious retail.
Past Richemont, Rupert has main holdings in different publicly traded companies, together with Reinet Investments, Remgro, and FirstRand, with these stakes collectively valued at round $1.8 billion. He additionally holds an estimated $2.45 billion in money, making him certainly one of Africa’s most liquid and financially nimble billionaires.
