I ssad Rebrab is a self-made Algerian billionaire and the founder and CEO of Cevital, Algeria's largest and most successful privately held conglomerate. He is the country's richest person. His is a story of a relentless entrepreneur who has built a massive industrial empire in a challenging and often state-dominated economy. He started his career in the 1970s and has since built a diversified group.
Cevital is a dominant force in the Algerian agribusiness and food processing industry. It is one of the world's largest producers of sugar and also has major operations in vegetable oils and other food products. He has also expanded the group into other sectors, including steel, electronics, and automotive. He has also made significant international acquisitions, including the French appliance maker Groupe Brandt. His career has also been marked by political challenges; he was imprisoned for a time on corruption charges, which he has denied.
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Issad Rebrab is an Algerian businessman, the self-made billionaire CEO of Cevital, the largest private company in Algeria (spanning food, steel, and electronics). Born in Tagumount-Azzouz village, Tizi Ouzou, in 1944, his career is rooted in the high-stakes industrial sector and was marked by political controversy.
Rebrab's entrepreneurial journey began with an initial focus on the food industry (founding Cevital in 1998, which owns one of the largest sugar refineries in the world). His business encountered a major crisis in 1995 when his main installations were destroyed in a terrorist attack, prompting him to temporarily leave Algeria. He returned in 1998 with the fully formed Cevital industrial group.
Issad Rebrab's strategic genius was his commitment to vertical integration and opportunistic acquisition of industrial assets across the Mediterranean region. Under his leadership, Cevital diversified aggressively into automotive, household appliances, transport, and float glass production. His wealth is tied to the colossal, long-term profitability of the essential food processing and industrial manufacturing sectors.
His career is significantly marked by legal and political challenges: he was incarcerated in 2019 as part of a corruption probe and later sentenced to six months for tax, banking, and customs offenses (released in 2020, having already served the time). In May 2023, a court decision prohibited him from exercising in commerce, forcing him into a major restructuring of his executive roles. His legacy is tied to his success in building Algeria's largest private company and his subsequent legal battles with the state.
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His main installations are destroyed in a terrorist attack; he leaves Algeria (Major Crisis).
Returns and founds Cevital (Founding).
Cevital acquires major industrial companies in France, Italy, and Spain (International Expansion).
Incarcerated as part of a corruption probe (Political Crisis).
Released after being sentenced to six months (Legal Resolution).
Prohibited from exercising in commerce by a court decision (Executive Restriction).
Issad Rebrab's wealth is concentrated in his founding and controlling ownership of the private industrial giant, Cevital.
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Issad Rebrab's social impact is structural, stemming from Cevital's role as Algeria's largest private employer and foundational provider of essential food staples (sugar) and industrial materials (steel). His company contributes significantly to national economic stability and industrialization.
His personal philanthropy supports various community and educational initiatives. His career is a powerful narrative of resilience, returning to Algeria after a terrorist attack destroyed his installations to build a dominant, multi-sector conglomerate.
Issad Rebrab maintains the professional, composed style of a major industrial executive. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored suits. His aesthetic reflects stability and immense financial power, despite the continuous political and legal challenges he has faced.
Residing in Algeria, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to industrial scale, vertical integration, and the long-term management of his essential industrial and food empire.
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+0.21% | +$6.35M
-0.14% | -$2.34M
This profile is compiled from verified biographical and financial records:
All information is cross-referenced with public sources for accuracy; some narrative sections are AI-assisted summaries.
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