Dollar-billionaire Johann Rupert has found himself at the receiving end of widespread backlash after it was discovered that he received the Covid-19 vaccination before anyone else, in Switzerland.
Rupert vaccination news confirmed by Swiss clinic
While the world’s leading vaccine manufacturers are faced with insurmountable pressure to finalise and distribute doses to billions of people, Rupert skipped the queue and is already immunised from the respiratory virus that has claimed more than 39 000 lives in his home country, and more than a million worldwide.
This was the breaking news in Switzerland, where Rupert received his shot back in December 2020, at a Hirslanden clinic that — wait for it — is owned by Mediclinic South Africa. The Rupert family, on the other hand, holds a 45% stake in Mediclinic.
Reports of this gobsmacker were first published by a Swiss newspaper, Tages-Anzeiger. In the article, it was revealed that South Africa’s second-richest man landed in Frauenfeld, the capital of Thurgau, a month ago “desperately looking for a vaccine.”
‘He was the perfect ‘test’ patient’ – Swiss clinic
Hirslanden’s spokesperson, however, downplayed the hyperbole found in headlines, stating that the 70-year-old was merely selected as a test patient to assess the effectiveness of the vaccine before it was rolled out to the public.
Moreover, the clinic added, Rupert’s obesity, his high blood pressure and other underlying comorbidities made him the perfect subject to run tests on.
Social media reacts to Rupert vaccination
The news made its way to our shores and here are some of the reactions:
The privilege you have at family weddings makes you jump the queue and get that limited fried chicken and you want us to believe you wouldn’t do what Rupert did if you had the means?
— Lesilo Rula (@kay_mahapa) January 22, 2021
Rupert and the Oppenheimers should run for president and stop sending people… pic.twitter.com/KlpREUDach
— Y̵o̵u̵r̵ ̵F̵r̵i̵e̵n̵d̵ ̵i̵s̵ ̵h̵e̵r̵e̵. (@RealXavier011) January 22, 2021
The Rupert vaccine story goes to show that in SA we are not fighting smaller nyala white power. These guys are serious, they are big boys even to other white people globally. pic.twitter.com/muNyCr0nhS
— Tshepo biko Lethea (@TshepoLethea) January 22, 2021
At the time this article was published, Rupert and his associates had not released a statement in response to the vaccination claims.