Ex-boss of Poundland owner dies from gunshot wound

Markus Jooste, the former head of the Steinhoff retail group, has died. The 63-year-old succumbed to a gunshot wound in hospital, police said. Local media reported he shot himself at his home in the southern town of Hermanus. He was ordered to pay a $25m fine - said to be the biggest in South Africa’s history.

Steinhoff International Holdings is based in South Africa but also listed in Germany. Mr Jooste resigned as chief executive, but denied any knowledge of accounting fraud. He was also later fined for insider trading in 2020. Those heavy losses also affected investors in South African pension funds.