Some Mumbai residents angry as the son of Asia's richest man gets married in the year's most extravagant wedding (2024)

In short:

Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani's youngest son married his girlfriend in an extravagant wedding attended by celebrities, business tycoons and politicians.

The marriage culminated months of wedding events that featured performances by pop stars including Rihanna and Justin Bieber.

What's next?

The extravaganza and the display of opulence that comes with the wedding led many to raise questions about rising inequality in India.

The youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest man, has married his longtime girlfriend in what many dubbed the wedding of the year, attended by global celebrities, business tycoons and politicians, highlighting the billionaire's staggering wealth and rising clout.

The wedding rituals, including exchanging garlands by the couple and walking around the sacred fire, began Friday and were completed past midnight.

The celebrations of Anant Ambani marrying Radhika Merchant took place at the Ambani-owned Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai and the family home.

The marriage culminated months of wedding events that featured performances by pop stars including Rihanna and Justin Bieber.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a reception organised by the Ambanis on Saturday evening.

The Ambanis hosted a "blessing ceremony'' for friends and family members to meet the couple and wish them a happy married life.

India Today television news channel reported that the newlyweds touched Mr Modi's feet as a show of respect and sought his blessings.

The four-day wedding celebrations began on Friday with the traditional Hindu wedding ceremony and will be followed by a grand reception to run through the weekend.

Some Mumbai residents angry as the son of Asia's richest man gets married in the year's most extravagant wedding (1)

The guest list includes former British prime ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson; John Kerry, the former US special envoy for climate, Saudi Aramco CEO Amin H Nasser; and Adele, Lana Del Rey, Drake and David Beckham, according to local media.

The Ambani family did not confirm the guest list.

Television news channels showed the arrivals of celebrities like Kim Kardashian, who was dressed in red, and professional wrestler and Hollywood actor John Cena.

International guests wore traditional clothes by major Indian fashion designers.

They put on embroidered sherwanis — long-sleeved outer coats worn by men in South Asia.

Cena came in a sky-blue sherwani and white pants. Nick Jonas wore a pink sherwani and white pants.

Bollywood icons Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Ranbir Kapoor attended the wedding and danced to popular Hindi movie songs. Indian cricketers, including icons Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav, were among the invitees.

Police imposed traffic diversions around the wedding venue from Friday to Monday to handle the influx of guests who flew to Mumbai, where heavy monsoon rains have caused flooding and flight disruptions for the past week.

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Wedding raises questions about rising inequality in India

The extravaganza and the display of opulence that comes with the wedding have led many to raise questions about rising inequality in India, where the gap between rich and poor is growing.

The event has also sparked anger among some Mumbai residents, who say they are struggling with snarled traffic.

"It affects our earnings. I don't care much about the wedding," said Vikram, a taxi driver who uses only one name.

Some Mumbai residents angry as the son of Asia's richest man gets married in the year's most extravagant wedding (2)

Some, such as opposition politician Thomas Isaac have called the amount of spending "obscene".

"Legally it maybe their money but such ostentatious expenditure is a sin against mother earth and [the] poor," he said in a post on X.

The father of the groom, Mukesh Ambani, is the world's ninth-richest man and the richest person in Asia, with a net worth of $US116 billion($172 billion), according to Forbes.

His Reliance Industries is a conglomerate reporting more than $140 billion in annual revenue, with interests that include petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecoms and retail.

The Ambani family owns, among other assets, a 27-story family compound in Mumbai worth more than $1 billion.

The groom, 29-year-old Anant, oversees the conglomerate's renewable and green energy expansion.

Mr Ambani's critics say his company has relied on political connections during Congress Party-led governments in the 1970s and 80s, and under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rule after 2014.

Some Mumbai residents angry as the son of Asia's richest man gets married in the year's most extravagant wedding (3)

The Ambani family's pre-wedding celebrations have been lavish and star-studded from the start.

In March, they threw a three-day prenuptial bash for Anant that had 1,200 guests, including former world leaders, tech tycoons and Bollywood megastars, and performances by Rihanna, Akon and Diljit Dosanjh, a Punjabi singer who shot to international fame when he performed at Coachella.

The event was also attended by tech billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates.

It was the start of lavish, months-long pre-wedding celebrations that grabbed headlines and set off a social media frenzy.

In May, the family took guests on a three-day cruise from Italy to France, which included Katy Perry singing her hit song Firework and a performance by Pitbull, according to media reports.

The family also organised a mass wedding for more than 50 underprivileged couples on July 2 as part of the celebrations.

Last week, Justin Bieber performed for hundreds of guests at a pre-wedding concert that included performances by Bollywood stars Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh and Salman Khan.

Mr Ambani also made headlines in 2018, when Beyoncé performed at pre-wedding festivities for his daughter.

Former US 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.

AP

Some Mumbai residents angry as the son of Asia's richest man gets married in the year's most extravagant wedding (2024)

FAQs

Some Mumbai residents angry as the son of Asia's richest man gets married in the year's most extravagant wedding? ›

The extravaganza and the display of opulence that comes with the wedding have led many to raise questions about rising inequality in India, where the gap between rich and poor is growing. The event has also sparked anger among some Mumbai residents, who say they are struggling with snarled traffic.

Which is the richest wedding in India? ›

Following seven months of extravagant festivities estimated to have cost over $600 million, Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and India's richest man, married pharmaceutical heiress Radhika Merchant this past weekend.

Who is the son of the richest man in India? ›

Ambani, the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in Asia, married Merchant at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, India, on July 12.

Who is Asia's richest man? ›

Twenty million flowers, 37,500 dishes, and an 18-page dress code were some of the standout features at the wedding of Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, Asia's wealthiest man.

What is the richest family in Asia? ›

Top 10 richest people in Asia in 2024
  • Zhong Shanshan (China, $59.3 billion) ...
  • Colin Zheng Huang (China, $50.7 billion) ...
  • Zhang Yiming (China, $43.4 billion) ...
  • Savitri Jindal & family (India, $41.2 billion) ...
  • Ma Huateng (China, $40.4 billion) ...
  • Tadashi Yanai and Family (Japan, $36.8 billion) ...
  • Li Ka-shing (Hong Kong, $35.4 billion)
2 days ago

Who pays for Indian wedding in India? ›

In India, it is customary for the bride's family to pay for most of the wedding celebrations, but things have changed in recent times. The most common trend these days is for both families to split the bill, or sometimes the couple themselves take on financing the wedding.

How much does a luxury Indian wedding cost in India? ›

Understanding the 5-Star Wedding Cost in India. While 5-star weddings offer an unparalleled experience, they cost substantially. The expenses include venue bookings, decor, catering, entertainment, photography, etc. A 5-star wedding can cost anywhere between INR 30 lakhs to several crores.

Who is the wife of the richest man in India? ›

The celebrations of Anant Ambani marrying Radhika Merchant took place at the Ambani-owned Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai and the family home. The marriage culminated months of wedding events that featured performances by pop stars including Rihanna and Justin Bieber.

Who is the richest Indian guy in the world? ›

Mr Mukesh Ambani, the Managing Director and Chairman of Reliance Industries, is India's wealthiest individual.

Who is India's richest man kids? ›

Mukesh Ambani, India's richest man, is no stranger to lavish celebrations. The billionaire, his wife Nita, and their three children — Anant, Akash and Isha — have been in the public eye for decades.

Who is Asia's richest man in 2024? ›

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.

How much money does Jack Ma have now? ›

What is Elon Musk's net worth today? ›

Who is the richest family in India? ›

Top 25 richest Indians
RankNameCompany
1Mukesh AmbaniReliance Industries
2Gautam AdaniAdani Group
3Shiv NadarHCL Technologies
4Cyrus PoonawallaSerum Institute of India
21 more rows

Who is Pakistan's richest man? ›

Shahid Khan

Who is the richest family in Europe? ›

2022
RankNameNet worth (USD)
1Bernard Arnault158.0 billion
2Françoise Bettencourt Meyers74.8 billion
3Amancio Ortega59.6 billion
4Dieter Schwarz47.1 billion
26 more rows

Which marriage is more successful in India? ›

Arranged marriages seem more successful because there is an element of being persuaded into it.

Who is the richest couple in India? ›

DNA India reports Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan as Bollywood's wealthiest couple, with a combined net worth of approximately Rs 8096 crore.

Who had the richest wedding in the world? ›

'The crazy richest wedding ever': Son of Asia's richest man marries after months of lavish events. Millions of dollars have been spent on pre-wedding celebrations for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant that have been attended by world leaders and global music megastars.

Which is the richest family in India house? ›

Antilia is the residence of billionaire Mukesh Ambani and his family. It is located on Billionaires' Row in Mumbai, India. Built from 2006 to 2010 at a cost of nearly USD 2 billion, it was valued at USD 4.6 billion in 2023.

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