Alan Clark, a slightly awkward, razor-sharp psychologist with a doctorate in literature, stands to score the largest windfall ever to land in the lap of the CEO of a JSE-listed company — £55m, equal to a mind-bending R1.2bn. This will happen when Anheuser-Busch InBev forks over the £44/share it’s paying to buy Clark’s brewer,SABMiller, ending a tenure on the JSE which dates back to 1897.For the 56-year-old Clark, the son of a tradesman father and the first of his family to attend university, it’s the sort of fortune he’d never have dreamt of when lecturing in cognitive development at Vista University in the 1980s. But in 1990, his sideline in consulting led him to the door of SABMiller’s former CEO, Graham Mackay — and it all changed.Now, R1.2bn is so immense, it’s difficult to imagine how to think about it. But in arriving at an answer, context is everything.First, Clark is getting this windfall only because SABMiller was in the fortuitous position of being pursued by a larger riva...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.