Richemont

History

Richemont’s corporate history states that the group was founded in 1988 when Rembrandt’s non-South African assets were placed into the new company. The initial portfolio included interests linked to Rothmans International and luxury-goods houses. ^[1][3]

Johann Rupert founded Richemont and became group chief executive. The group later concentrated increasingly on luxury goods and retained its headquarters in Switzerland, making it a South African-founded company rather than a South African-domiciled operating company. ^[2][1]

Key milestones

1. 1988

   Johann Rupert founded Richemont through the spin-off of Rembrandt’s international assets. ^[1][2]

2. 1988

   Richemont listed in Zurich and Johannesburg as part of its formation. ^[4]

Founded / co-founded by

• Johann Rupert — South African businessman who founded Richemont in 1988 through the spin-off of the international assets of Rembrandt Group.

Related articles

• South African Company Builders: Founders, Builders and Corporate Transformations
  South Africa’s best-known company histories include clean start-ups, spin-offs, acquisitions and later transformations. This guide separates founders from executives who built existing companies into new institutions.

Sources

1. Richemont, History. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-25. ↩
2. Richemont, Johann Rupert. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-25. ↩
3. Richemont, FAQ. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-25. ↩
4. Richemont, Annual Report 2013: Richemont’s 25th anniversary, 2013-03-31. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-25. ↩