{{Short description|Kenyan businessman (1941–2021)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox person | birth_name = Christopher John Kìrubi | image = Chris Kirubi, 2009 World Economic Forum on Africa.jpg | caption = Chris Kirubi in 2009 | birth_date = {{Birth date text|20 August 1941}} | birth_place = Murang'a, Kenya | death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|6|14|1941|8|20|df=y}} <!-- Do not remove this date as this is Wikipedia's standard format for birth and death dates. -->| death_place = Nairobi | citizenship = Kenyan | education = Friends School Kamusinga | alma_mater = {{hlist|INSEAD|Handel's University, Sweden|Harvard Business School}} | occupation = {{hlist| Businessman|industrialist|entrepreneur|investor}} | years_active = 1971–2021 | title = Former director, Centum Investment Company | spouse = {{unbulleted list | {{marriage|Fiona Kirubi|1965|1991|end=divorced}}<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kimuyu |first1=Hillary |title=Chris Kirubi: Marriage is 'enslavement' |url=https://nairobinews.nation.africa/chris-kirubi-marriage-is-enslavement/ |work=Nairobi News |date=22 September 2020}}</ref>}} | children = 3, including Mary-Ann<ref>{{cite news |last1=Omondi |first1=Ian |title=Revealed: How Chris Kirubi distributed his Ksh.20 billion wealth |url=https://www.citizen.digital/news/revealed-how-chris-kirubi-distributed-his-ksh20-billion-wealth-n291245 |work=Citizen Digital |date=28 January 2022 |language=en-KE}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Muthoni |first1=Kamau |title=Who got what: Inside billionaire Chris Kirubi's will |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001435746/inside-billionaire-chris-kirubis-will#google_vignette |work=The Standard |language=en}}</ref> }}
'''Christopher John Kìrubi''' (20 August 1941 – 14 June 2021), born in Murang'a County, was a Kenyan businessman, entrepreneur, and industrialist. He was a director at Centum Investment Company, a business conglomerate, of which he was the largest individual shareholder.<ref name="war">{{cite web| url=http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate-News/Kirubi-builds-Sh1bn-war-chest-for-Centum-shares/-/539550/1999714/-/7cau8o/-/index.html |title=Kirubi Builds KSh1 Billion War Chest for Centum Shares |date=19 September 2013 |newspaper=Business Daily Africa | access-date=17 October 2014 |author=Victor Juma |place=Nairobi}}</ref>
According to the 2011 ''Forbes'' annual rankings of Africa's richest people in Kenya, Kìrubi was ranked the second richest man in Kenya and 31st richest in Africa, with a net worth of $301 million.<ref name="Meeting"/> He ranked behind only the Kenyatta family, who were ranked richest in Kenya in 2011 with a net worth of $500 million. However, in 2012, ''Forbes'' dropped Kìrubi from the list of Africa's 40 richest.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nsehe |first1=Mfonobong |title=Africa's 40 Richest: The Dropoffs |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2012/11/20/africas-40-richest-the-dropoffs/#69500e675ed3 |work=Forbes |date=20 November 2012 |language=en}}</ref>
He chaired DHL Express Kenya Limited, Haco Industries Kenya Limited, Kiruna International Limited, International House Limited, Nairobi Bottlers Limited, Sandvik East Africa Limited and 98.4 Capital FM. He was also a non-executive director of Bayer East Africa Limited, UAP Provincial Insurance Company Limited and Beverage Services of Kenya Limited.<ref>{{cite web|work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/officerProfile?symbol=ICDC.NR&officerId=884570 |title=Centum Investment Company Officers: Christopher Kirubi |date=15 July 2017 | accessdate=15 July 2017}}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
He died on 14 June 2021 after a long battle with cancer.
==Early life and education== Kìrubi was born into a poor family, and his parents died when he was young. He began work while still in school, working during school holidays to support himself and his siblings. Upon graduation, his first job was as a salesman, repairing and selling gas cylinders for Shell, the petroleum conglomerate.<ref name="Back">{{cite web| url=https://softkenya.com/kenya/chris-kirubi/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713232351/https://softkenya.com/kenya/chris-kirubi/ | url-status=usurped | archive-date=13 July 2017 | title=Chris Kirubi Wealth, Net Worth, Biography and Family |location=Nairobi |accessdate=15 July 2017 |date=22 February 2017 | publisher=Softkenya.com (SKC)| author=SKC}}</ref>
==Career==
During the 1960s and early 1970s, Kirubi worked as an Administrator at Kenatco, a government-owned transportation company. Around 1971, he began buying run-down buildings in the cities of Nairobi and Mombasa, renovating them for resale or renting them out. He also began acquiring prime land in and around Nairobi and proceeded to erect rental and other commercial properties, using loans from Kenyan financial institutions.<ref name="Meeting">{{cite web|title=Meet Chris Kirubi, Mr. Kenya |work=Forbes | date=16 November 2011|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2011/11/16/meet-chris-kirubi-mr-kenya/ |accessdate=15 July 2017 |first=Mfonobong |last=Nsehe }}</ref>
===Holdings===
Kìrubi was the largest single investor in Centum Investment Company, whose stock is listed on both the Nairobi Stock Exchange and on the Uganda Securities Exchange.<ref name="Back"/><ref name="Meeting"/> He owned 100 percent of Haco Industries Limited, a Kenyan household goods manufacturer.<ref name="Back"/><ref name="Meeting"/> He owned 100 percent of 98.4 Capital FM, a Nairobi radio station.<ref name="Back"/><ref name="Meeting"/> He also invested in the Kenya Commercial Bank Group<ref name="List">{{cite web| work=Business Daily Africa | url=http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate-News/Billionaire-Kirubi-bets-on-KCB-after-he-sells-Safaricom/-/539550/1988962/-/5rw35wz/-/index.html |author=Victor Juma |title=Billionaire Kirubi Bets on KCB After He Sells Safaricom |date=11 September 2013 |access-date=15 July 2017}}</ref> and Nation Media Group.<ref name="List"/>
In March 2020, he filed an application seeking regulatory approval to acquire another 20 percent of Centum's shareholding, to add to the 30 percent that he already owned at that time. The deal involved the purchase of 133 million shares valued at KSh2.7 billion (US$25.7 million).<ref name="MoreR">{{Cite web| url=https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/markets/capital/Billionaire-Chris-Kirubi-to-buy-more-Centum-shares/4259442-5502218-ntmnx4/index.html |title=Billionaire Chris Kirubi to buy Sh2.7bn more Centum shares |newspaper=Business Daily Africa | date=24 March 2020 |author=Victor Juma |accessdate=24 March 2020 | place=Nairobi}}</ref>
===Former investments===
At one time, Kìrubi owned 9.58 percent of UAP Holdings, an investment and insurance conglomerate that provides investment and insurance services in the countries of Eastern and Central Africa. In 2015, he sold his shares to Old Mutual and exited the stock.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=15 July 2017| url=http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/2015/02/why-i-sold-my-stake-in-uap-holdings-dr-kirubi/ | title=Why I sold my stake in UAP Holdings – Dr Kirubi |date=5 February 2015 |author=Kennedy Kangethe |work=98.4 Capital FM |location=Nairobi, Kenya}}</ref>
In May 2020, Haco Industries sold the BIC brand (stationery, lighters and shavers) to French conglomerate Société BIC. The deal brought to an end 40 years of Haco's BIC franchise.<ref>{{cite news |title=After fallout with South African partner, Kirubi buys back Haco - Business Today Kenya |url=https://businesstoday.co.ke/after-fallout-with-south-african-partner-kirubi-buys-back-haco/ |work=Businesstoday.co.ke |date=22 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Nsehe |first1=Mfonobong |title=Kenyan Tycoon Chris Kirubi Receives Additional $2 Million In BIC Acquisition deal |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2019/08/06/kenyan-tycoon-chris-kirubi-receives-additional-2-million-in-bic-acquisition-deal/?sh=59960ed91250 |work=Forbes |date=6 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=BIC deal tastes sweeter for Chris Kirubi - Business Today Kenya |url=https://businesstoday.co.ke/why-chris-kirubi-is-sh1-1-billion-richer/ |work=Businesstoday.co.ke |date=6 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Kirubi receives Sh348m extra in BIC buyout deal |url=https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/corporate/companies/kirubi-receives-sh348m-extra-in-bic-buyout-deal-2301006 |work=Business Daily Africa |date=10 September 2020}}</ref>
== Personal life == Kirubi was in a marriage that ended in divorce in 1999 and never re-married.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Odongo |first=David |title=No man wants to go home to a quarrelsome wife for the rest of his life |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001387979/my-marriage-felt-like-i-was-in-jailtoo-restrictive-and-lonely |access-date=2026-05-30 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref> He had 2 children, Mary Ann-Musangi and Robert Kirubi.{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}}At one point in time, he likened marriage to enslavement as an advice to young men. While speaking in the comedy program Churchill Show, Kirubi mentioned that one should only marry after finding the right partner, else they could end up in some kind of 'jail'.<ref>{{Cite news |title=How marrying wrong can lead you to depression |url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/sasa/lifestyle/2020-09-27-how-marrying-wrong-can-lead-you-to-depression/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240304023445/https://www.the-star.co.ke/sasa/lifestyle/2020-09-27-how-marrying-wrong-can-lead-you-to-depression/ |archive-date=2024-03-04 |access-date=2026-05-30 |work=The Star |language=en-KE}}</ref>
== Philanthropy == Kìrubi was involved in a youth mentorship programme called Ask Kìrubi.<ref>[https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/author/chris-kirubi12436/ Ask Kirubi]</ref> He pursued his passion for youth empowerment in Africa through online authorship and physical talks in high schools and universities in Kenya.
== Death == Kìrubi died on 14 June 2021 after a long battle with colon cancer.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wakaya|first=Jeremiah|date=2021-06-14|title=Dr. Chris Kirubi, One of Kenya's Most Successful Businessmen, has Died|url=https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/2021/06/dr-chris-kirubi-one-of-kenyas-most-successful-businessmen-has-died/|access-date=2021-06-14|website=Capital Business|language=en-US}}</ref>
==See also== * List of wealthiest people in Kenya * Economy of Kenya
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/lifestyle/profiles/Kirubis-narrow-path-to-success/4258438-5421720-jh16moz/index.html Interview With Chris Kirubi] As of January 2020. * [https://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2019/06/12/kenyan-tycoon-chris-kirubi-to-pocket-2-3-million-centum-dividends/ Kenyan Tycoon Chris Kirubi To Pocket $2.3 Million Centum Dividends] As of 12 June 2019. *[https://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/meet-the-boss-chris-kirubi-businessman-kenya/ Meet the Boss: Chris Kirubi, businessman, Kenya] *[http://www.ghafla.com/ke/2017/05/12/inside-the-luxurious-private-jet-that-billionaire-chris-kirubi-wants-to-buy/ Inside the luxurious private jet that billionaire Chris Kirubi wants to buy] *[http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/04/12/chris-kirubi-first-kenyan-to-drive-sh40-million-luxurious-maybach-benz_c1330287 Chris Kirubi first Kenyan to drive Sh40 million luxurious Maybach Benz] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ_d38tqIEc&ab_channel=ChurchillShowChurchillShow Interview with Chris Kirubi] As of September 2020
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirubi, Chris}} Category:1941 births Category:2021 deaths Category:Kenyan businesspeople Category:INSEAD alumni Category:Harvard Business School alumni Category:University of Gothenburg alumni Category:Alumni of Strathmore School Category:Alumni of Friends School Kamusinga Category:Kenyan company founders Category:Kenyan business executives Category:People from Murang'a County Category:Deaths from cancer in Kenya Category:Centum Investment Company people