John Kahlbetzer had a drive for success and compassion

Sons Johnny and Marcus Kahlbetzer pay tribute to their father. From working on oil rigs to being kidnapped in his own Porsche, John Kahlbetzer was as competitive as he was compassionate.

John Kahlbetzer, pictured in 1991, has died at the age of 92.

Dad, Opa, John, Dieter or Mr K. What a life you led, what an impact you had on so many people.

You will be missed by many and remembered for your business success and sharpness. At times your ruthlessness. But also for your compassion and caring for indi­viduals.

Your love of sports, art, food, beer, wine and your competitiveness was legendary.

Born in 1931 in Germany from a broken home, you were too young to be involved in the war. Coming from a business family, it was in your blood and your first business involved selling tyres to the Americans from dubious origins, which morphed into working for a steel-trading business.

You left Germany when you were 23 and worked on the oil rigs off Western Australia.

You then moved to Adelaide and got a job with Heine Brothers, where your boss was Rudi Meth.

They wanted to progress a steel business into China. While Australians couldn’t get entry into China, Germans could, so you were able to set up an operation in Peking.

It was your big break. Business boomed. Eventually the Chinese didn’t have enough cash to buy the steel and you proposed that the only way to expand the business was via bartering with soybeans.

You then had to sell the soybeans and set up an office in Germany.

Business went very well. But after disagreements with the owners, you shut the office, bought a Porsche and went on an unforgettable drive across America.

You ended up in Panama, where you got on a boat back to Brisbane and brought the car with you.

Then you and Rudi set up a firm called Methco in Sydney.

Rudi was the money manager and you the dealer.

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John Kahlbetzer

Born: 19-01-1931

Died: 27-10-2023

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The business started making ­serious money, exporting BHP HR steel coils to Italy and Iran, among others.

You even had a ship in Iran when the Shah was overthrown and were very lucky to get it out that night.

You always had a love for agriculture. In the early 1970s you bought a hobby farm at Razorback, near Camden, and then accumulated some properties until you bought seven farms from Naroo Pastoral (Amatil) in 1979.

That was the start of your entry into large-scale agriculture and the beginning of Twynam.

At one point, Twynam owned 24 properties within NSW covering 400,000ha, was the largest cotton and rice producer in the country and in the top 10 for wheat and sheep.

A quarter of the Australian cotton crop was handled by Twynam.

You were also were the largest private water owner in NSW before selling most of those rights to the federal government in 2009 in the largest ever water buyback.

In the late ’70s and early ’80s you also ventured into corporate raiding and were regularly in the ­financial press. Some of the most interesting positions you took were 40 per cent of Bridge Oil and 40 per cent of AACo.

Markus, left, and Johnny Kahlbetzer. Picture: Nic Walker

In the early ’80s you made a major step into Argentina by founding LIAG Argentina. What started as a single farm grew into one of the largest agricultural producers in the country, producing 300,000 tonnes of grain.

You loved pioneering areas, for example persevering with cotton in the NSW Riverina, which has grown to become a billion-dollar industry.

You developed irrigation cropping in the north of Argentina, building a farm with 35,000ha, one of the largest in the world.

We will never forget the story of the night you got kidnapped and thrown into the back of your ­Porsche.

You were driven around for a few hours then dropped back at your apartment as you had convinced the kidnappers that all you could give them were travellers cheques. Little did they know they were not signed.

You truly loved Porsches, especially when driving on a snowy road, making your wife scream.

How you loved sports. Your competitiveness always showed through. Even playing tennis just a few months before your passing, you wanted to know the score.

Tennis, polo, skiing and sailing were your passions.

You also had a real knack for putting teams together.

Whether it was putting together a boat and crew that won line honours in the 1979 Sydney-Hobart, and on handicap in 2001, when Markus was part of the crew.

Or assembling a polo team that won every 14-goal tournament at Palermo in Argentina in a season.

As your two sons, we have worked in your businesses for many years and now continue to run the operations that you originated.

These businesses have evolved from trading and agriculture into venture capital and property, with your full support. Your legacy will live on through them and your five grandchildren.

You also helped many people establish businesses or to buy their own home. The Twynam cadet scheme was a first in Australia and has contributed greatly to the agriculture industry.

You have left a legacy for many people who experienced your drive, motivation and caring ­nature. The number of long-term staff you have had is a testament to how you managed and cared for your people.

May you rest in peace.