Anant Ambani is the heir to India's wealthiest business empire.
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| The Ambani family at the engagement of Radhika Merchant (third from left) and Anant Ambani (fourth from left) |
When it comes to big fat Indian
weddings, Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, knows how to step it up a notch.
This weekend, he and his son, Anant Ambani, 28 years old, will host pre-weds
festivities in what is sure to be a star-studded affair.
The
younger Anant Ambani is getting married to his childhood sweetheart, Radhika
Merchant, 29 years old, and is the daughter of another Indian tycoon, Viren
Merchant. While the wedding isn’t until July, the pre-ceremony festivities begin on
Friday, March 1, at the family refinery township in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India.
The guest list includes some of the world’s biggest names in finance, tech, and
entertainment.
This includes a performance by world-renowned singer
Rihanna, whose arrival in India on February 29 sent shock waves through the
world after pictures of her massive luggage leaked online. The 1,200-strong
guest list also includes Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Meta founder Mark
Zuckerberg, billionaire Larry Fink, former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen
Harper, and former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, as well as US former President's
daughter Ivanka Trump. Other notable guests include Indian billionaire brothers
Gautam and Kumar Mangalam Birla, as well as a host of Indian cricket players
and Bollywood superstars such as Shah Rukh Khan, and Deepika Padukone.
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Shah Rukh Khan To Deepika Padukone: Anant Ambani,
Radhika Merchant Pre-Wedding Bash Guest |
Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, is also
expected to attend. The elder Ambani, chairman of Fortune 500 Reliance
Industries, earlier this week announced a $8.5-billion deal with Disney for its
Indian media assets. The agreement is expected to transform India’s TV and
streaming services by consolidating Disney’s position in one of the
fastest-growing global entertainment markets.
The Indians have been mesmerized by the lavish pre-wedding festivities, which
take place in a sprawling garden with an orchard of mangoes at the couple’s
home estate of 3,000 acres.
In addition to Rihanna, there will be
a performance by illusionist American David Blaine, reports Reuters. “Guests
have been instructed to dress in ‘jungle-inspired’ outfits for a glamorous
cocktail party,” the report said. “Visits to the couple's animal rescue center
are also part of the festivities.”
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| Rihanna was spotted singing some of her biggest songs such as 'Rude Boy', 'Pour it Up', 'Diamonds', 'Wild Things', and so on. |
A lavish gala will be held, with 65 chefs cooking more than 2,500 delectable dishes. Hair styling, makeup, and saree-draping services will be offered to guests, along with return charter jet tickets from New Delhi to Mumbai. At $111 billion, Mukesh Ambani is Asia’s richest person and the 11th wealthiest person in the world, according to data compiled by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
At the age of 66, Mukesh runs the
$243-billion Reliance conglomerate, which was founded by his father Dhirubhai.
Reliance’s businesses include oil refining, retail, telecom, food, digital
streaming services, and more.
Ambani is married to Nita and has three children: Isha, 31, Akash, and 24-year-old Neelam, who will inherit Dhirubhai’s $243-billion fortune. In recent years, Mukesh has been working on a succession plan with his son Neelam, 31, who joined the Reliance board in August.
Currently, Anant Ambani serves as a director in Reliance’s new energy business, as well as on the boards of Reliance Foundation and Encore Pharmaceuticals. In January 2022, he tied the knot with Merchant, who is also a member of Encore’s board of directors, in a lavish ceremony at the family’s opulent Mumbai residence, Antilia. At the time of construction, the 27-floor residence was the world’s most expensive residential property.
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| It’s the second most valuable property in the world … and we give you a glimpse inside the Ambani mansion, Mumbai’s Antilia |
India is home to the world’s largest luxury wedding market, with Indians spending more than $75 billion annually on weddings. Celebrities, fashion houses, and entertainment superstars flock to these events, but few are quite as extravagant as those of India’s Ambanis. In 2018, they made headlines for hosting what is believed to be India’s most expensive wedding, at an estimated $100 million, for their daughter Isha. The mega-wedding was held on the banks of Lake Como in the Indian city of Mumbai and was spread across the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. Beyoncé headlined the festivities, performing at the pre-wedding sangeet, a musical prelude to the wedding. Other guests included former US Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry.
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Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant
Pre-Wedding (Photo) |
Billionaire tycoon Mukesh Ambani is hosting pre-wedding festivities for his son Ananthttps://t.co/LGyoVFyZPN
— TIME (@TIME) March 2, 2024
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