Douw Steyn has managed to stay out of the limelight for 20 years. By his own admission, his luck has now run out. "My life is hell," he said in an interview last year.
"My legal costs are more than double the amount that (Bianca) Ferrante wants from me."
His former lover is claiming R1,2-million from Steyn, owner of the five-star Saxon Hotel, for breach-of-promise.
The 34-year-old beautician was also in court this week where she testified how Steyn's former girlfriend Donna Botha allegedly assaulted her. Steyn was also a witness in court.
The Wynberg magistrates court heard how Botha - "an embittered, dumped fiancee" - gained entry into Steyn's luxurious suite at the Saxon where she found a naked woman in his bed, called her a "worthless f****** whore", assaulted her with a champagne bottle and threatened to kill her.
Botha is facing an attempted murder charge after the altercation in the early hours of April 11 2006. Steyn had dumped Botha and begun an affair with Ferrante on April 4 2006.
The legal wrangle between Steyn and Ferrante has become a web of civil claims, criminal charges and counter-charges. In a separate lawsuit Ferrante is suing Steyn, Botha, as well as the Saxon.
Steyn, in turn, has laid charges of extortion and intimidation against Ferrante's lawyer, Ian Levitt and Brad Wood, from Big Brother fame.
Wood was head of security at the hotel at the time of the assault. Wood and Levitt allegedly told Steyn's lawyer that Botha would be charged and jailed if they were not paid R3-million.
Steyn refused to pay the money, and five weeks after the approach, Ferrante laid a charge of assault against Botha - Steyn's girlfriend at the time.
Steyn has suggested that the three are involved in a bid to extract money from him.
But it's not just Steyn who has found himself in the media spotlight recently. His son, Tjaart, has too - with the same man who attempted to extort money from his father.
Wood apparently confronted Steyn Jnr, who was a minor at the time, at the Sandton City complex.
Harsh words followed, and Wood apparently threatened to beat up Steyn Jnr. Security guards apparently had to restrain Wood and handcuff him to keep him away from Steyn Jnr, who filed a charge at Sandton charge office the following day.
It is not clear whether Ferrante plans to go through with her claim for breach of promise but she, her lawyer Levitt and Wood will stand trial for attempted extortion in May.
In an interview last year, Steyn told The Citizen, "These people won't get away with what they've tried to do. If justice doesn't work in this case something will have to be done with the legal system, and I will make it my mission to either remedy it or take it over - I have more money than the President."
There are no criminal charges against Steyn, who said he felt confident about winning the case. "We will see who is smarter, who has more money; I'll take them all on," he said.
Three years ago Nelson Mandela, former US president Bill Clinton and former SA president FW de Klerk attended his 50th birthday party.
The Saxon Hotel was originally his home where he hosted Mandela for several months upon his release from prison in 1990 where Mandela proof-read his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom.
In 2000, Steyn converted his home into a 26-suite hotel, where wealthy international stars including Oprah Winfrey stay when they visit SA.
When a journalist once asked him what his net worth was, Steyn replied: "R10-billion! My farm and the hotel alone are worth R500-million. There's still the house in England, my cars (13, he thinks), the boats and the helicopters. Yes I'm very rich. You can just say that I am a multi-millionaire."