Ever heard of the phrase money talks? Well, Johann Rupert’s $14.3 billion net worth is doing the talking. As Africa’s richest billionaire, Rupert has made a name for himself in the luxury goods industry. Born into a business family, Rupert shifted his father’s tobacco-focused venture into a multibillion-dollar empire and has now become one of the giants.

Rupert is the chairman of Richemont and oversees iconic brands like Cartier and Montblanc. But Rupert’s name extends beyond business, as he is also a vocal advocate for social and environmental causes and has spoken out against white-minority rule in South Africa. With lavish mansions in Cape Town, Geneva, and London, Rupert’s investments span over 30 companies through Remgro. Russell ranks 147th as the richest man globally, followed by Aliko Dangote, Nicky Oppenheimer, Nassef Sawiris, and Natie Kirsh. But does he have a hand in PGA Tour and PIF talks? Well, yes, he does!

Everyone heard the latest news that PGA Tour CEO Jay Monahan will be teeing off with PIF Governor Yasir al-Rumayyan at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship this week. However, many didn’t know that the driving force behind the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was Johann Rupert. Rupert is delighted that the event remains untouched by golf’s ongoing civil war. He also shared his concerns about the sport’s future in an exclusive interview with The Scotsman in 2022.

As a respected figure in golf and a long-time friend of Ernie Els, Rupert has invested over £90 million in the sport during his nearly 40-year association. Hence, he believes the Dunhill Links is a perfect example of golf’s spirit of friendship as it brings professionals and amateurs together. So, will it bring the PGA Tour and PIF together? Seems like a big shot. However, Rupert also sees similarities between golf’s current split and cricket’s past revolution led by Kerry Packer and believes banning players hurts the sport. “Now we’ve banned all of these people (in golf), and I’m concerned that, in a time of economic hardship for the majority of the people, it’s not going to be easy for the next five years,” said the South African.

Not only that, Russell has also expressed his thoughts on the unity of golf in the future.

Johann Rupert is afraid about players leaving the sport

While talking about many things among the players not getting treated well, Rupert thinks both sides have valid points and wants them to talk. And his friendships with top golfers like Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, and Branden Grace only show him the benefits of LIV Golf. LIV Golf players say that reduced schedules are beneficial for them, and one of them even told Rupert that they get more family time because of this. “It’s fantastic; I get to see my children grow up,”  Rupert said, recalling the conversation.

We all know that traditionally golfers play 48 weeks a year. This is an old approach to satisfy their sponsor, and Rupert compares this to rugby and cricket, where players are overused and discarded. “But it’s not only golf. It’s rugby and cricket. It’s as if we treat the rugby players as disposable. Overplay them, hurt them, and get new ones,” he said.

When asked what would happen if top golfers were banned from playing on the DP World Tour, Rupert didn’t say anything. But after some thinking, he said with a smile, “I am not commenting on that one, sorry.” Rupert didn’t want to predict what would happen if the top players were banned from the DP World Tour. “I would hope that we never get to that stage,” he said.

This conversation took place in 2022, and we got to see an example of it a few years ago when Jon Rahm was facing problems with the DP World Tour while participating in the 2024 Spanish Open due to his pending fines. What do you think would happen if the players really were banned? Let us know in the comment section below!