Cash-and-Carry King Caps Second Act With $29 Billion Sale (1)

The $29 billion sale of a business serving chefs and grocery store owners across the US marks the culmination of a tumultuous, seven-decade career for South African billionaire Nathan “Natie” Kirsh.

With the disposal of Jetro Restaurant Depot LLC, a cash-and-carry food wholesaler, Kirsh is monetizing the biggest asset in his family’s globe-spanning empire.

The sale to listed food-service giant Sysco Corp., announced late last month, has boosted Kirsh’s net worth by about 50% to $15.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, catapulting him up the ranks of Africa’s richest people.

Jetro had talked to potential ...