Rupert Getting Richer

Slitter · April 11th, 2006, 10:57 PM

I had to post this for Gabby. Kind of like how you have to post meteorite stories of doom for Mel.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/...plate=printart

Monday, April 10, 2006

'Survivor' star builds business empire in Indiana
Ex-grave digger becomes the boss
By Dana Knight
The Indianapolis Star

Rupert Boneham doesn't pass corporate America's dress code.

Wearing a white tank top covered by a denim shirt, a beard so unruly it could scare away a client and sunglasses atop his head on a cloudy day, he is not an executive's dream.

Boneham doesn't care. For the first time in his life, he doesn't answer to a boss. He is the boss.

America's favorite survivor, who received $1 million after winning TV's "Survivor: America's Tribal Council" in 2004, is using his money to build a modest business empire on his own terms.

RFB Enterprises, which stands for Rupert Frederick Boneham, is the parent of three business ventures: promotion, real-estate and production companies.

Gone is Boneham's past work life of grave digging, bartending and driving a camera truck.

His production company has five camera trucks. He buys office space to lease to corporate bigwigs, and he can walk into a formal business affair in a tie-dyed shirt without getting tossed out.

"I used to be the guy swinging the hammer. Now I'm the business guy," said the 41-year-old, who lives in Nora, Ind., with his wife, Laura, and their 6-year-old daughter, Raya Felice.

After becoming a celebrity, Boneham formed RFB to handle his promotional and speaking appearances, but he is adding subsidiaries as ideas pop into his head.

This year, Tournament Towers, his production company, secured a deal to build the walkways, connections and floors of tents for Super Bowl vendors in Detroit. His crew of camera truck drivers, who typically travel to college football games, turned into carpenters for the Super Bowl.

Rupert went along, but not to work. "I don't have to get dirty anymore."

His real-estate venture, Rupert Boneham Real Estate Development, is homing in on office space. He has purchased an Indianapolis business complex for $750,000. That's where RFB is located.

He bought the space from Herman & Kittle Properties. At the closing, the company's lawyer, Jeff Abrams, saw a Boneham exactly like the guy on TV.

"He's got some pretty good street smarts," said Abrams, a partner with Dann Pecar Newman & Kleiman, who walked away from the closing with autographed pictures for his three children. "I became the hero at home."

Boneham's building also is occupied by a group of attorneys, but he is looking for more tenants and more real estate. He has his eye on other buildings in the city, worth more than $1 million each, and said he plans to buy them within two years.

"Before long, you will see RFB on office buildings all over the city," he said. "One day, I will be Donald Trump's biggest competitor in real estate."

Boneham developed a reputation as a teddy bear during his time on the CBS network's reality show. He won $1 million because the country loved his down-to-earth personality. Thirty-four million of the 38 million votes cast by viewers were for Boneham.

So even as he delves into other segments of business, it is still Boneham who is the biggest draw.

For every speaking engagement, he pulls in $10,000. He did more than 200 of those last year. For promotional gigs, the price can go even higher.

"The people just gravitate to Rupert," said Dan Elmore, vice president of sales and marketing for Fatheadz, an Indianapolis company selling sunglasses for large heads. "He's got that charisma that you just can't buy."

Almost all business deals and transactions have some parallel to "Survivor," Boneham said.

"The game of business is survival," he said. "If you play the game with honor, the way you'd want others to play, it's amazing the way it comes back to you."

----

Wow. 200 Speaking engagements at $10,000 a pop. That's $2,000,000, folks. And I was cussing when I mailed my income tax today. I wonder what he has to pay.

Sunburntbeatle · April 12th, 2006, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slitter

Wow. 200 Speaking engagements at $10,000 a pop. That's $2,000,000, folks. And I was cussing when I mailed my income tax today. I wonder what he has to pay.

He probably has a damn good accountant (which would be a tax write off) and the gubermint writes him a check!

pocket · April 12th, 2006, 10:32 AM

As a Rupert fan, I'm glad for him. I hope he doesn't over-extend himself and lose it all. Will he still command $10,000 per speaking engagement 1, 2 or 3 years down the line? Probably not, but he is investing that money in real estate. I would love to see a breakdown of how the other million dollar winners are doing in comparison. Not Hatch...we know how he's doing. Time!

Gabby · April 12th, 2006, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slitter

I had to post this for Gabby. Kind of like how you have to post meteorite stories of doom for Mel.

mel · April 12th, 2006, 04:04 PM

Serves her right.

SurvivorSims07 · April 12th, 2006, 06:40 PM

Rupert moved to Nora. That is knews to me. I am happy for Rupert too! GO RUPERT!

Irishlass · April 12th, 2006, 10:15 PM

I knew Rupert and his family had moved from their Broad Ripple home, but I didn't know they were in Nora. It appears Rupert is doing well, more power to him. Gotta' love Rupert (sorry Gabby). I still have my Irish/Rupert photo in a prominent place in my family room..........it's a great conversation starter.

frawniemae · April 12th, 2006, 11:39 PM

Thanks for update! I'm glad he's doing well and you just can't hardly go wrong with real estate. Still rooting for Rupert!!

SurvivorSims07 · April 13th, 2006, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irishlass

I still have my Irish/Rupert photo in a prominent place in my family room..........it's a great conversation starter.

You got your pic taken with Rupert? Please share the story!

Irishlass · April 13th, 2006, 02:27 PM

I posted about this when it happened, but I think it was before you came here, Sims. Rupert was Grand Marshal for the Haynes-Apperson parade in Kokomo two or three years ago. My husband and I have a '58 DeSoto that we drove in the parade. My daughter was on a mission that day to get a pic of Rupert and me. We were in the parade staging area and she waited for him to get there. As soon as he arrived she asked him if she could take the pic and he immediately agreed, put his arm around me and flashed one of those huge Rupert smiles. You'll have to excuse my huge glasses and very short hair, that has changed for the better since the picture was taken.

Slitter · April 13th, 2006, 02:55 PM

Here's a link to the original thread...

http://boards.survivoraddicts.net/sh...ad.php?t=13168

Irishlass · April 13th, 2006, 05:54 PM

Slitter, I looked everywhere (except Palau) for that thread. How did you know where to look? You never cease to amaze me............Slitter can do anything.

Slitter · April 13th, 2006, 06:47 PM

LOL, hardly. In this case I just did a search with you as the author and using the keyword "parade". Voila!