Life

Ambani joins $100 billion club among world's richest Bezos, Musk

October 09, 2021
File photo of Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s richest person.
File photo of Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s richest person.



NEW DELHI – Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s richest person, joined Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk in the world’s most exclusive wealth club with a fortune of at least $100 billion.

The chairman of India’s Reliance Industries Ltd. entered the rarefied group of 11 men as his conglomerate’s stock climbed to a record on Friday.

He’s now worth $100.6 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, after his wealth increased by $23.8 billion this year.

Since inheriting the oil-refining and petrochemicals businesses of his late father’s empire in 2005, Ambani, 64, has been seeking to transform the energy giant into a retail, technology and e-commerce titan.

His telecommunications unit, which started services in 2016, is now the dominant carrier in the Indian market. His retail and technology ventures raised about $27 billion last year, selling stakes to investors ranging from Facebook Inc. and Google to KKR & Co. and Silver Lake.

Ambani unveiled an ambitious push into green energy in June, with a planned investment of about $10 billion over three years. And last month, the mogul said his company would “aggressively” pursue production of cheaper green hydrogen.

The plan aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitions of turning India into a global manufacturing hub for the cleaner fuel to combat climate change and slash energy imports by the world’s third-biggest oil consumer.

While Ambani’s announcement has been viewed by some as an acknowledgment that his group needs to look beyond oil to cement its future, the fossil fuel still plays a central role at Reliance, accounting for almost 60% of its $73 billion in annual revenue. — Agencies


October 09, 2021
4540 views
HIGHLIGHTS
Life
3 days ago

Spice Girls reunite at Posh's 50th birthday

Life
6 days ago

Taylor Swift releases surprise double album

Life
15 days ago

Jordan's Crown Prince and Princess Rajwa expecting first child this Summer