 The purchase gave Brant control of 22% of the North American newsprint market, second to AbitibiBowater with 43%.Brant expanded "SP Newsprint" into paper recycling operating 23 recycling facilities through its SP Recycling unit.In a court filing around 2007, Brandt said the ailing newsprint market and the recession had slashed his net worth to less than $500 million from $1.4 billion that year.