John Berridge Spencer (1934 or 1935 – 10 February 2016) was a New Zealand business magnate. Spencer was for many years head of

Caxton Pulp & Paper Caxton may refer to: Places * Caxton Street, Brisbane, Australia * Caxton, Cambridgeshire, a village in Cambridgeshire, UK ** Caxton Gibbet, a knoll near the village * Caxton Hall, a historic building in London, UK * Caxton Building, a historic bu ...

, a business founded in 1890 by his grandfather, Albert Spencer. He inherited the company in 1981 from his father,

Berridge Spencer Berridge is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Bob Berridge (born 1959), British racing driver * Edmund William Berridge (1843–1923), British-born, US-based medical doctor in London, homoeopathist and occultist * Elizabeth Berri ...

, who had successfully expanded the company after World War I. Expansion included the founding of the

pulp and paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt, ...

Kawerau Kawerau is a town in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated 100 km south-east of Tauranga and 58 km east of Rotorua. It is the seat of the Kawerau District Council, and the only town in Kawerau Distric ...

.Rich Lister John Spencer of Caxton paper fame dies
, nbr.nz.com, 11 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016. John Spencer ran the company until 1988, when he sold it to

Carter Holt Harvey __NOTOC__ Carter Holt Harvey Limited is a privately-owned New Zealand-based company controlled by Rank Group Limited, the corporate vehicle of the country's richest man, Graeme Hart. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the company has three main div ...

for a sum estimated at $NZ 300 million.Kiwi business magnate and rich-lister John Spencer dies
''stuff.co.nz'', 12 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016. During the stock market boom of the 1980s, Spencer's nett wealth was estimated at $675 million, making him New Zealand's richest man. Other business interests included property and vineyards.Nippert, M.
Magnate John Spencer dies
, ''New Zealand Herald'', 12 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016. He lost heavily in the

1987 stock market crash Black Monday is the name commonly given to the global, sudden, severe, and largely unexpected stock market crash on Monday, October 19, 1987. In Australia and New Zealand, the day is also referred to as ''Black Tuesday'' because of the time z ...

, but managed to retain a significant portion of his fortune, which was augmented by the Caxton sale. By 2015, the NBR rich list estimated that the Spencer family fortune was around $720 million. In the last years of his life, Spencer was as well-known for disputes over land access on his

Waiheke Island Waiheke Island (; Māori: ) is the second-largest island (after Great Barrier Island) in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand. Its ferry terminal in Matiatia Bay at the western end is from the central-city terminal in Auckland. It is the most pop ...

property as for his fortune. An intensely private man, he waged a two decade-long campaign to reduce public access to the

Stony Batter Stony Batter is a historic defence installation at the north-eastern end of Waiheke Island, Auckland, New Zealand. It is sited within a 50-acre (200,000 m2) scenic reserve of the same name, owned by the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC ...

historic site on his farm, a dispute which involved him on one occasion barricading a public road. The dispute eventually ended up at the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

, with Spencer losing the case. Spencer died in London on 10 February 2016 at the age of 81. His wife, Finnish-born Tytti Laurola, predeceased him, dying of cancer in 1992 at the age of 54. He was survived by his son Berridge and daughter Mertsi.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, John 1930s births 2016 deaths New Zealand businesspeople People from Waiheke Island