Raymond Ackerman is one of the most successful businessmen and philanthropists in South Africa. He is best known for the supermarket chain store Pick n Pay, which he bought from Jack Goldin in 1966. It is no secret that Raymond Ackerman is considered to be one of the wealthiest businessmen in South Africa. In fact, he was classified as one of the top 50 wealthiest men in Africa, with an estimated net worth of 500 million.
There have been rumors that much of Raymond Ackermans wealth can be attributed to his investment and endorsement of cryptocurrency. We decided to check whether there is any merit to these rumors.
How Many Pick n Pay Stores does Raymond Ackerman Own?
The Pick N Pay group is a supermarket chain with more than 870 stores in South Africa,
Zimbabwe and Australia. In South Africa, Pick N Pay faces its most fierce competition from the Shoprite Group and Woolworths. Recently, Food Lovers Market has also proven to be a growing competitor. Ackerman is renowned for being a consumer champion. Although he no longer owns executive responsibilities at Pick N Pay, he and his family own about 48% of the stock. Ackerman’s son Gareth is now the Executive chairman, with Richard Brasher in the position of CEO. In 2018, Pick N Pay’s estimated revenue was set at R83.5 billion.
Raymond Ackerman Has a Long List of Accolades
Raymond Ackerman was awarded an honorary doctorate in law from Rhodes University in 1986. In 2001, his alma mater, UCT, awarded him an honorary doctorate in commerce. He was voted 79th in the Top 100 Great South Africans in 2004. He was also named by the Financial Times as the only South African among the world;s 100 greatest business leaders. Raymond, together with his wife Wendy Ackerman were awarded the 2010 David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership in Africa Award by the Synergos Institute. Raymond Ackerman also founded The Raymond Ackerman Academy (RAA) in 2005. This Academy offers a six-month full-time training programme to youths on entrepreneurial development and runs twice a year through the UCT Graduate School of Business.
