The Greatest Adventurer

There are few people on Earth who have lived as close to the edge as Geoffrey Kent. Known for building the billion-dollar empire Abercrombie & Kent from a single Land Rover in the African bush, Kent is one part James Bond, two parts Indiana Jones—a man who pushed the boundaries of exploration on a personal quest to save the natural world through travel. “Shoot with a camera, not with a gun.” Kent is an explorer in the classical mold. At sixteen, he became the first person to drive the length of Africa alone on a motorbike. He was one of the first to solo voyage the Amazon, and the first to bring luxury cruisers to the Nile. He introduced ice cream to Saudi Arabia—making millions—and his early encounters with the Northern Mountain Gorilla arguably saved the species from extinction. But the most dangerous terrain Kent navigated wasn't the Sudanese wilderness or the halls of power; it was his own family. Amidst the adrenaline of global expansion, a fractured domestic drama unfolded. Kent brought his only son into the company to help lead A&K, only to watch the relationship fracture under the weight of the empire. In a stunning reversal, his son eventually rose to become the CEO of his father’s biggest competitor—turning a family legacy into an intense corporate rivalry. To build his company, Kent had to be as comfortable with warlords toting AK-47s as he was with Royalty on the polo pitch. A world-class player and confidante to the future King Charles, he was the one the Prince called to spirit a young Prince Harry away from the paparazzi after the death of Princess Diana. Kent’s story is a thrilling saga of entrepreneurship, adrenaline, and the high price of building a legacy in the untamed corners of the Earth.