Asia's richest person, who is worth $116 billion, is about to throw an extravagant wedding for scions of Indian business empires (2024)

In March, Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani threwa three-day prenuptial bashfor his son that included a 1,200-person guest list, including former world leaders, tech tycoons and Bollywood’s megastars, and a performance by renowned singer Rihanna.

It was only the start of their months-long lavish pre-wedding celebrations which have grabbed headlines and set off a social media frenzy.

In May, the family took guests on a 3-day pre-wedding cruise from Italy to France, which included a DJ set from David Guetta, Katy Perry belting out her hit song “Firework” and a performance by Pitbull to cap it off, according to media reports.

Finally, the wedding is set for next week, with Anant Ambani, 29, marrying his longtime girlfriend, Radhika Merchant, in what many have dubbed the wedding of the year.

Here’s what we know:

Who are the Ambanis?

The father of the groom is Mukesh Ambani, 66, currently the world’s 9th richest man with a net worth of $116 billion, according to Forbes. He is also the richest person in Asia.

His Reliance Industries is a massive conglomerate, reporting over $100 billion in annual revenue, with interests ranging from petrochemicals, and oil and gas to telecoms and retail.

The Ambani family owns, among other assets, a 27-story private apartment building, named Antila, worth $1 billion in Mumbai. It has three helipads, a 160-car garage, a private movie theater, a swimming pool, and a fitness center.

Ambani’s critics say his company has flourished mainly because of political connections during the Congress governments in the 1970s and 80s and subsequently under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule after 2014. They say “crony capitalism” in India has helped certain corporations, such as Ambani’s, thrive.

The family patriarch has started passing the torch to his two sons and daughter. The oldest son, Akash Ambani, is now chairperson of Reliance Jio, their telecoms business; his daughter, Isha, oversees retail, while the groom Anant, the youngest, has been inducted into the new energy business.

Who are the bride and groom?

Anant has a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, according to Reliance Industries’ website, and oversees the conglomerate’s renewable and green energy expansion.

He also runs a 3,000-acre (nearly 1,200-hectare) animal rescue center called Vantara in Gujarat state’s Jamnagar, the family’s hometown where guests in March spent days celebrating in the extravagant pre-wedding party.

The bride, Radhika Merchant, 29, is the daughter of pharmaceutical tycoon Viren Merchant and is the marketing director for his company, Encore Healthcare, according to Vogue.

She told the magazine that the two were introduced through mutual friends in 2017. “That first meeting just sparked something special between us, and it wasn’t long before we started dating,” she said.

When’s the wedding and what’s expected?

The main wedding ceremony is set for July 12, followed by a grand reception on July 14, according to local media. Celebrations are expected to be split between the Ambani’s Jio World Convention Center in Mumbai city and their family home.

The dates were reportedly chosen based on the couple’s birth charts, as is typical in Hindu custom, and deemed auspicious. Also keeping with tradition, the wedding will be preceded by days of traditional wedding events and rituals.

On Friday, Indian social media was abuzz with videos from the couple’s sangeet, a ceremony where the bride and groom’s families perform dances for the guests. It also included performances by Bollywood stars like Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh and Salman Khan as well as Justin Bieber, who flew to Mumbai for the event, according to local media.

The family alsoorganized a mass weddingfor more than 50 underprivileged couples last week, as part of the pre-wedding celebrations.

Extravagant parties are the Ambanis’ specialty and next week’s events are expected to draw more celebrities, billionaires and world leaders.

In March for the pre-wedding bash, the guest list included Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, former leaders of Canada and Qatar as well as Bollywood’s A-list stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone. In addition to Rihanna, Akon and Diljit Dosanjh, a Punjabi singer who shot to international fame when he performed at Coachella, also took the stage.

In 2018, when his daughter married, Ambani made the headlines because of the grand celebrations, with pop sensation Beyoncé performing at the pre-wedding festivities. At the time, former U.S. Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry were among those who rubbed shoulders with Indian celebrities and Bollywood stars in the western Indian city of Udaipur.

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Asia's richest person, who is worth $116 billion, is about to throw an extravagant wedding for scions of Indian business empires (2024)

FAQs

Asia's richest person, who is worth $116 billion, is about to throw an extravagant wedding for scions of Indian business empires? ›

The groom's father, Mukesh Ambani

Mukesh Ambani
Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani (born 19 April 1957) is an Indian businessman and the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries. With an estimated net worth of $123.3 billion as of July 2024, he is the richest person in Asia and 11th richest in the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Mukesh_Ambani
, is the world's ninth-richest man, with a net worth of $116 billion, according to Forbes. He is the richest person in Asia.

Where is the wedding of Anant Ambani? ›

The wedding was hosted at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, and was followed up with the 'Shubh Aashirwad' ceremony on July 13. PM Modi blessed the newlyweds as they began their journey as a couple.

Who is Asia's richest man in 2024? ›

The father of the groom, Mukesh Ambani, 66, is the world's ninth richest man with a net worth of $116 billion, according to Forbes. He is also the richest person in Asia.

Who is the richest family in Asia? ›

The Ambani family, led by Mukesh Ambani, is the wealthiest in Asia with a net worth of approximately $90.7 billion. Their fortune originates from Reliance Industries, a conglomerate with interests in petrochemicals, refining, oil, telecommunications, and retail.

How did Mukesh Ambani make his money? ›

Mukesh Ambani chairs and runs $110 billion (revenue) Reliance Industries, which has interests in petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecom, retail and financial services. Reliance was founded by his late father Dhirubhai Ambani, a yarn trader, in 1966 as a small textile manufacturer.

Where does Isha Ambani stay after marriage? ›

Isha Ambani resides in Gulita, a sprawling 50,000 sq. ft. property in the upscale Worli area of Bandra, Mumbai, known for its stunning views of the Arabian Sea and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. Q4.

Who planned Isha Ambani wedding? ›

According to Isha, her parents, Nita and Mukesh Ambani planned the special occasion end-to-end. “During the wedding my mom was CEO and I was chairperson.

Who is Asia's richest person? ›

The father of the groom, Mukesh Ambani, is the world's ninth-richest man, with a net worth of $116 billion, according to Forbes. He is the richest person in Asia.

Who is the richest marriage in the world? ›

'The crazy richest wedding ever': Son of Asia's richest man marries after months of lavish events
  • Anant Ambani and his fiancée, Radhika Merchant, in Mumbai earlier this month. ...
  • People walk past the Antilia mansion, home of the groom's father, Mukesh Ambani.
3 days ago

Who is the richest royal family in Asia? ›

– Who is the richest monarch in Asia? Maha Vajiralongkorn, the ruler of Thailand, is the richest of all the kings in Asia.

How much money did Ambani give to Rihanna? ›

How much money did Mukesh Ambani pay Rihanna for her performance in his son's wedding? Nothing short of a sum north of Rs 70 crore!

Are the ambanis vegetarian? ›

Mukesh Ambani is a strict vegetarian and teetotaler.

How did Ambani lose his wealth? ›

Overdependence on Debt Financing: As Anil Ambani's businesses expanded rapidly, they relied heavily on debt financing to fund their growth. This overreliance on borrowing left them vulnerable to rising interest rates and tightening credit conditions.

Who attended Ambani's son's wedding? ›

Currently, celebrities from Priyanka Chopra to Kim Kardashian to former British prime minister Tony Blair are in Mumbai for the wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant.

Where is Radhika Merchant from? ›

Radhika Merchant was born on December 18, 1994, in Mumbai and belongs to Kutch in Gujurat. She went to The Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai, École Mondiale World School and did an International Baccalaureate diploma from BD Somani International School.

How old is Anant Ambani? ›

The groom, 29-year-old Anant, oversees the conglomerate's renewable and green energy expansion. He also runs a 3,000-acre (about 1,200-hectare) animal rescue center in Gujarat state's Jamnagar, the family's hometown.

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