- Written by Zoya Mateen
- BBC News, Delhi
image source, Getty Images
The Ambani family during the engagement of Radhika Merchant (third from left) and Ananth Ambani (fourth from left) in January 2023.
Some of the world's most powerful people have arrived in the Indian state of Gujarat to attend a wedding party hosted by Asia's richest man.
Mark Zuckerberg, Rihanna and Bill Gates were among the guests at the pre-wedding gala hosted by Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani for his son.
Anant Ambani, 28, is set to marry Radhika Merchant in July.
Bollywood stars such as Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan will also participate in the three-day event to be held in Jamnagar city.
Mukesh Ambani, 66, is currently the 10th richest man in the world with a net worth of $115 billion, according to Forbes magazine. Reliance Industries, founded by his father in 1966, is a huge conglomerate with operations in a wide range of sectors, from refining to retail, financial services and telecommunications.
Anant Ambani is the youngest of three children, all of whom serve on the board of directors of Reliance Industries. The 28-year-old works in Reliance's energy business and is a board member of the Reliance Foundation.
This lavish pre-wedding event matches the Ambani family's record of hosting lavish wedding parties.
In 2018, pop sensation Beyoncé appeared at Mr Ambani's daughter Isha Ambani's pre-wedding celebrations in Udaipur. Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry also attended the event.
A Bloomberg report at the time cited sources who said Isha's wedding cost $100 million, but this was denied by a “source close to the family” who said the bill was about $15 million.
The current festival began earlier this week with an event where the Ambani family provided food to locals in Jamnagar.
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant at a dinner held for local residents
Around 1,200 guests will attend the pre-wedding party in Jamnagar town, near Reliance's main refinery.
According to Reuters, the guest list includes Indian billionaires Gautam Adani and Kumar Mangalam Birla. Disney CEO Bob Iger is also scheduled to attend the party, which comes days after his company announced the merger of its India and Reliance assets.
Zuckerberg, who is on a busy trip to Asia, arrived in Jamnagar on Thursday. Bill Gates, who arrived in India a few days ago, had earlier posted a video of himself drinking tea made by a local vendor, which later went viral.
Others seen arriving on Friday were cricketers Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dwayne Bravo, and BP CEO Murray Auchincloss.
Other guests at Ambani's event included BlackRock co-founder Larry Fink, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and Ivanka Trump. etc. are planned.
image source, ANI News Agency
Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla after arriving in Jamnagar
“The guest list appears to have more attendees from major global companies than the weddings of Mr. Ambani's two eldest children in 2018 and 2019, and Reliance's influence is on the rise, underscoring its role as a conduit for global technology, media and energy giants into the Indian economy,” Bloomberg wrote.
Some of the entertainment on offer will include performances by Rihanna and illusionist David Blaine.
Guests are also scheduled to visit the rescue center in Jamnagar, which is said to be home to over 2,000 animals. The dress code for the trip is “jungle fever,” according to planning documents seen by Reuters.
