Richest Personalities of India & World

Net Worth $20.8 billion/Mumbai

Age: 51. Married, 3 children

Makes debut as India’s richest, despite fact that net worth fell $28.2 billion in past year as stock price of petrochemicals flagship Reliance Industries tanked.

Unfazed, Mukesh upped Reliance stake, paying $3.4 billion to convert 120 million preferential warrants into shares, at a premium to stock price. Legal spat with estranged brother Anil over gas supply agreement still unresolved.Courtesy: Economictimes

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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshowpics/3707791.cms

Net Worth: $20.5 billion/London


Stock of world’s largest steel outfit, ArcelorMittal, which he heads, spiraled to 4-year lows amid falling steel prices.

In November announced plans to cut output, reduce debt. Mittal joined Goldman Sachs board in June. Has stakes in Indiabulls, RAB Capital.]

Courtesy: Economictimes India

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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshowpics/msid-3707780.cms

Net Worth: $12.5 billion/Mumbai


Plans to merge his Reliance Communications with South Africa’s MTN in what would have been India’s largest-ever overseas deal were scuttled in July after brother Mukesh threatened to sue, claiming he had right of first refusal.

Stock stumbled 48% since. Married to a onetime Bollywood actress, Anil has Hollywood ambitions: His Reliance Entertainment is investing $500 million in a new studio venture with Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks.

Courtesy: Economictimes India

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Sunil Mittal

Net Worth: $7.9 billion/Delhi


Runs Bharti Group whose Bharti Airtel is country’s largest mobile phone operator. In May backed out of deal to take over South Africa’s MTN, opening door for Anil Ambani’s failed bid.

Launched Airtel Digital TV, a direct-to-home digital television service. Joint venture with Wal-Mart expected to open its first store next year. Funding soccer academy.

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Kushal Pal Singh

$7.8 billion/Delhi


Real estate baron and DLF chairman lost $27.2 billion in past year. Attempt to boost share price through share buyback was unsuccessful as were its plans to list its real estate investment trust in Singapore.

Company paid $40 million in February to sponsor new cricket league for 5 years.

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Shashi & Ravi Ruia




Brothers’ Essar Group’s most valuable asset is 33% stake in mobile phone operator Vodafone Essar, India’s third largest.

Also own 8% in rival telecom firm BPL Mobile. Lost out to Russian firm Severstal in bid for steelmaker Esmark this year. Other holdings in shipping, oil, construction, power.

Courtesy: Economictimes

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Azim Premji

Net Worth: $7 billion/Bangalore


Longtime head of $4.9 billion (revenues) Bangalore outsourcing giant Wipro, handed over operations to 2 co-chief executives in April.

Remains chairman. Hit by global economic slowdown, stock is down 44% in past year.

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Kumar Birla

Net Worth: $5 billion/Mumbai


Head of Aditya Birla Group, commodities conglomerate inherited from father, with operations in 25 countries. His telecom outfit bought 50% of mobile operator Spice Communications.

In October a rights issue by its aluminum maker Hindalco unraveled as its stock price plunged to alltime low.

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Adi Godrej

Net Worth: $4 billion/Mumbai


The head of consumer products conglomerate Godrej Group has set his sights on expanding into property development in a big way on the back of his family’s 3,500 acre estate in suburban Mumbai.

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Gautam Adani

Net Worth: $3.9 billion/Ahmedabad


Dropped out of college to start a trading outfit 20 years ago. Now his Adani Enterprises has interests in edible oils, power, infrastructure.

Owns Mundra Port, India’s largest in private sector. Fishermen recently took Adani to court over special economic zone he’s building on western coast; court ruled in his favor. Plans to list power subsidiary are delayed.

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Dilip Shanghvi



His Sun Pharmaceutical Industries is India’s most valuable drugmaker.

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Savitri Jindal

Net Worth: $2.9 billion/Delhi & Hisar

Age: 59. Widowed, 9 children

Nonexecutive chair of conglomerate O.P. Jindal Group, named after her late husband. In bid to secure supplies for its steel plants, group acquired iron ore mines in Chile, Bolivia.

Won oil-exploration blocks in Peru. Four sons run the operations. Son Navin is a member of parliament.


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Malvinder & Shivinder Singh




In surprising move, brothers agreed to sell their 34% stake in generics maker Ranbaxy Laboratories, founded by their grandfather, to Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo for $2 billion.

Malvinder remains chairman and chief executive of Ranbaxy. Stock trading 74% below deal price, partly due to US ban of 30 Ranbaxy drugs after discovery that 2 factories don’t meet FDA standards. Group has retained former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani to help resolve FDA matter.


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Anil Agarwal

Net Worth: $2.4 billion/London


Chairs London-listed Vedanta Resources, metals, mining group with bulk of assets in India. Agreed to buy bankrupt US copper miner Asarco for $2.6 billion in May; deal called off in October, after it tried to renegotiate price.

Abandoned plans to restructure Vedanta into 3 units after investors protested.

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Age: 63. Married, 1 child

His $5 billion (sales) HCL Group, which he cofounded in 1976, is on acquisition streak. Outbid Infosys Technologies to snatch Londonlisted consulting firm Axon Group, for $700 million.

Hosting annual customer event in Florida this month where 500 guests will hear Al Gore’s keynote address.


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Micky Jagtiani

Net Worth: $2 billion/Dubai


College dropout drove a taxi in London before moving to Bahrain and taking over his deceased family’s baby products shop. Over the years his Landmark Group moved to Dubai and expanded into fashion, electronics, furniture and budget hotels in Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Owns stake in Saks. Sponsors Indian charities, including orphanage in Chennai.


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Cyrus Poonawalla

Net Worth: $1.6 billion/Pune


Runs Serum Institute of India, one of world’s largest makers of children’s vaccines, started on family’s stud farm in 1966; exports to 140 countries.

Recently acquired minority stakes in biotech outfit Orchid Chemicals and rival vaccinemaker Panacea Biotech.


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Uday Kotak


Age: 49. Married, 2 children Shares of his Kotak Mahindra Bank sank 71% this year. Goldman Sachs’ longtime partner until 2006 when he bought them out.


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Chandru Raheja



Split from siblings in 1996 to run own privately held real estate group, K. Raheja Corp.; portfolio includes offices, malls, IT parks, hotels.

Inked partnership with logistics firm ProLogis in April to build warehouses.


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G M Rao

Net Worth: $1.47 billion/Bangalore


Former jute trader, heads GMR Infrastructure. His newly built airport terminal at Hyderabad was inaugurated by Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi in March.

With partners, is constructing new terminals in Delhi and Istanbul. Paid $930 million for 50% stake in Dutch utility InterGen.

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Vivek Burman



with siblings, inherited stake in Dabur, maker of herbal consumer products founded by great-grandfather. Handed reins to nephew Anand last year.

Family sold their 65% stake in Dabur Pharma to Germany’s Fresenius in April. Son Mohit is part owner of cricket team Kings XI Punjab.

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Anurag Dikshit

Net Worth: $1.25 billion/Gibraltar

Age: 36. Married, 2 childrenJoined PartyGaming at age 25 and designed the software for its successful Party Poker, allowing live gambling over the Web.

Left the company and sold a chunk of shares in 2006, the year US government banned Internet betting.

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Net Worth: $1.2 billion/Chennai


His Sun TV Network is country’s biggest regional broadcaster with 20 channels. Also owns 45 FM radio stations, newspapers, magazines.

Launched Sun Direct, a direct-to-home satellite TV service provider, this year in partnership with Malaysia’s Astro.

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Venugopal Dhoot



Converted small inheritance into $4 billion (sales) Videocon, India’s leading consumer electronics maker. Has interests in retail, oil, power; announced plans to expand into semiconductor manufacturing.

Negotiating to sell part of its stake in telecom firm Datacom Solutions.

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Yusuf Hamied

Net Worth: $1.06 billion/London & Mumbai

Age: 72. Married

Built drugmaker Cipla, which he and brother inherited from father, into a leading maker of cut-price generics, earning nickname of “drug pirate.”

Claims 30% of world’s 2 million HIV patients being treated are on Cipla’s medicines. Has homes in London, Mauritius, Marbella and Mumbai.

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Ramesh Chandra

Net Worth: $1 billion/Delhi


His property firm, Unitech, has been battered by nation’s real estate slowdown. Shares halved in one day in October on rumors that it was on verge of default.

Chandra called for stock regulators to investigate. Group sold 60% of telecom arm Unitech Wireless to Norway’s Telenor for $1.2 billion.

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Subhash Chandra

Net Worth: $970 million/Mumbai


His Essel Group owns Hindi TV broadcaster Zee Entertainment, with 500 million viewers in 167 countries; son Punit named Zee’s chief executive in August.

Subhash’s brothers run Zee News and Dish TV. Other businesses include online gaming, amusement parks. Launched Indian Cricket League.

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Net Worth: $965 million/Bangalore


Nonexecutive chairman of outsourcing firm, Infosys Technologies, is only one of 6 cofounders to make top 40. Stock of company, which gets 62% of its $3.4 billion in sales from North America, is down 28% in past year.

Awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honor.

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Cousin of Chandru Raheja (No. 20), inherited family’s real estate outfit. His Rajan Raheja Group now makes cement, automotive batteries, and floor tiles.

His Outlook Publishing launched Indian edition of People magazine.

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Net Worth: $940 million/Delhi


Patriarch of Hero Group, which he and his brothers founded. Its Hero Honda, 25-year-old joint venture with Honda Motors run by son Pawan, is India’s largest motorcycle maker.

In April launched $1.1 billion joint venture with Daimler to make trucks for Indian market. Despite market slowdown, company posted 30% higher sales in last quarter.

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Net Worth: $935 million/Pune


Heads Bharat Forge, world’s second-largest forgings maker. Has leading share of Indian market for auto components; makes forgings for aerospace industry.

Struck joint venture with stateowned NTPC to make equipment for power plants.

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Wind knocked out of Tanti and his wind firm, Suzlon Energy, amid reports over poor quality of its wind turbine blades, some of which cracked.

Company made $25 million provision to fix faulty blades. Firm’s efforts to up its stake in German wind power firm Repower may be in jeopardy.

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Net Worth: $890 million/Delhi


Founder of conglomerate Jaypee Group. His son Manoj chairs listed Jaiprakash Associates. Expanding in thermal power; bought power company from Kumar Birla in May.

Building India’s first Formula One race track near Delhi.

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His Hiranandani Constructions caters to multinationals and India’s burgeoning middle class. Notable tenants of its suburban Mumbai township include Nomura Securities, which took over space from Lehman Brothers.

Also has foothold in Middle East where firm is building a 90-story tower.

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Net Worth: $870 million/Hyderabad


Youngest of 13, trained pharmacist partnered with pharma tycoon Anji Reddy. Started his Divi’s Laboratories in 1990 and later moved into making off-patent bulk drugs for big pharma companies to use in drug discovery programs.

Recently started making nutraceuticals. Does yoga every day.

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Former drug company executive started Glenmark Pharmaceuticals in 1977. Firm sells generic drugs in 95 countries. Its research labs churned out new drug candidates for osteoarthritis, diabetes and multiple sclerosis, now licensed to big pharma firms for development.

Stock fell recently when Eli Lilly suspended trials of a pain molecule it was jointly developing with Glenmark.

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Mukesh Ambani’s school buddy and onetime vice chairman of Reliance Capital. Shares in his Jai Corp. fell 85% in past year.

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Rahul Bajaj



Chairman of 82-year-old Bajaj Group. Son Rajiv at helm of $2 billion (sales) Bajaj Auto, country’s second-largest motorcycle maker. Partnering with Renault-Nissan to make a small, low-cost car.

Cousins run other group companies with interests in electrical appliances, engineering, steel.


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10 Young Billionaires in the world

Age is no bar to be a billionaire. Some are self-made i.e. they made their own fortunes others inherited the family wealth. Here is a list of 10 most interesting ones.

Hind Hariri of Lebanon


Age: 24

$1.1 bn

Inherited

Hind Hariri is the youngest child of Lebanese politician Rafik Hariri. She graduated from the Lebanese American University in Beirut and campaigned for her half-brother Saad in recent Lebanese elections.

Age: 33

$2.5 bn

Self-made

Xiaofeng Peng founded LDK Solar, which makes silicon wafers used in solar panels in July 2005. Prior to founding the company, Mr. Peng founded Suzhou Liouxin ( manufacturer of personal protective equipment) in March 1997 and was its chief executive officer until February 2006. Mr. Peng graduated from Jiangxi Foreign Trade School in 1993 with a diploma in international business and from Beijing University Guanghua School of Management with an executive MBA degree in 2002.

Age: 24

$2.3 bn

Inherited

Prince Albert completed his high school education in Rome and after his military service he went to the University of Edinburgh. An enthusiastic racing driver, he is vice-champion of the 2007 German GT Championship ADAC GT Masters with the German Team Reiter Engineering.

Age: 34

$1.5 bn

Self-made

John D Arnold runs Centaurus Energy Advisors, LLC, a Houston, Texas based hedge fund that specializes in trading energy products. After graduating from Vanderbilt University he began his career as a trader at Enron. After initially working on the Crude Oil desk, John moved over to the Natural Gas Desk. He is credited with making three quarters of a billion dollars for Enron in 2001 and was rewarded with an $8 mn bonus.

Age: 32

$2.5 bn

Inherited

Mr. Shivinder Mohan Singh, is the Director, Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited and one of the principal promoters of Fortis Healthcare & SRL Ranbaxy. Currently Jt. Managing Director of Fortis Healthcare Ltd. and Managing Director of Escorts Heart Institute & Research Center (EHIRC). An alumnus of the Doon School and an Honours Graduate in Mathematics from St. Stephens College, Delhi, Mr. Singh is an MBA with specialisation in health sector management from the Duke University Business School, US.

Age: 34

$3.4 bn

Self-made

Kostyantin Zhevago started out as finance director of Finance & Credit in 1992 when he was just 19. He eventually gained a majority stake in its holding company, Finance & Credit Group. Zhevago is planning to take Finance & Credit Bank public in the next two years. Since 1998 Zhevago has been a member of the Ukrainian Parliament and a member of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and an ally of current Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

Age: 35

$18.6 bn

Self-made

The co-founder of Google, Page attended a Montessori school in Lansing, Michigan, and graduated from East Lansing High School. Page holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering from the University of Michigan with honors and a Masters degree in Computer Science from Stanford University. Page who heads the company’s products division met partner Sergey Brin at Stanford, where they dropped out and started the search engine together.

Age: 34

$18.7 bn

Self-made

Sergey Mikhailovich Brin, a Russian, born on August 21, 1973 is an American entrepreneur who co-founded Google with Larry Page. Brin currently holds the position of President of Technology at Google. He studied computer science Ph.D. program at Stanford and dropped out to start Google in a garage they sublet from the sister of Brin’s now wife, Anne Wojcicki, whom he married in 2007.

Age: 26

$7.4 bn

Inherited

Yang Huiyan born in 1981 is the majority shareholder of Country Garden Holdings. She is a 2003 graduate of The Ohio State University. Her father, Yang Guoqiang, who started his company Biguiyuan in 1997 transferred 70% of Country Garden's shares to her before its IPO in 2007.

Age: 34

$1.6 bn

Self-made

Xian Yang, a former policeman in Sichuan Province founded Hidili Industry or Hidili in 2000. It is a civilian-run enterprise in Mainland China. It is engaged in the productions of coal and coke and coal-related chemicals in Sichuan Province and Guizhou Province. It was listed in Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 21 September 2007.

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Richest Personalities of India & World