MUMBAI, India — Global celebrities, corporate tycoons, and politicians began arriving in India’s financial capital on Friday to attend the wedding of Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s richest man, emphasizing the billionaire’s astonishing fortune and growing prominence.
Anant Ambani, 29, is marrying his longtime love, Radhika Merchant, in what many are calling the wedding of the year. The celebrations, which take place at the Ambani-owned Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai and their family home, mark the end of months of wedding activities that included performances by musical singers such as Rihanna and Justin Bieber.
The four-day wedding celebrations begin on Friday with a traditional Hindu ceremony and a spectacular banquet that will last the whole weekend. According to local media, former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson will attend, as will Saudi Aramco CEO Amin H. Nasser, Adele, Lana Del Rey, Drake, and David Beckham. The Ambani family still needs to confirm the guest list.
Celebrities including Kim Kardashian and professional wrestler and Hollywood actor John Cena were seen coming on television news networks.
Police have imposed traffic restrictions around the wedding venue from Friday until Monday to accommodate the rush of guests coming into Mumbai. Over the last week, heavy monsoon rains have caused floods and airline difficulties.
However, the spectacle and display of riches associated with this wedding has prompted many to raise concerns about rising inequality in India, where the rich-poor divide is widening. The event has also enraged some Mumbai residents, who say they are dealing with clogged traffic.
“It affects our earnings. “I don’t care about the wedding,” said Vikram, a cab driver who only goes by his first name.
Ambani The Son Of Asia’s Richest Man Is Set To Marry In The Year’s Most Extravagant Wedding
According to Forbes, the groom’s father, Mukesh Ambani, 66, is the world’s ninth richest man, with $116 billion. He is also the wealthiest person in Asia. His Reliance Industries is a vast conglomerate with over $100 billion in annual revenue and holdings ranging from petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecoms, and retailing.
Among its other properties, the Ambani family has a $1 billion 27-story family estate in Mumbai. The structure has three helipads, a 160-car garage, and a private movie theater.
Anant, Ambani’s son, oversees the conglomerate’s expansion into renewable and green energy. He also maintains a 3,000-acre (1,200-hectare) animal rescue sanctuary in Jamnagar, Gujarat, his family’s homeland.
According to Vogue, the bride, Radhika Merchant, 29, is the daughter of pharmaceutical mogul Viren Merchant and the marketing director for his company, Encore Healthcare.
Critics believe Ambani’s corporation relied on political connections under Congress-led governments in the 1970s and 1980s and when Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014.
The Ambani family’s pre-wedding events were opulent and star-studded.
Ambani The Son Of Asia’s Richest Man Is Set To Marry In The Year’s Most Extravagant Wedding
In March, they hosted a three-day prenuptial extravaganza for his son, with 1,200 guests, including previous global leaders, tech tycoons, and Bollywood megastars. The ceremony included performances by Rihanna, Akon, and Diljit Dosanjh, a Punjabi musician who rose to international stardom after performing at Coachella. Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, IT millionaires, also attended the ceremony.
According to media accounts, the family hosted guests on a three-day cruise from Italy to France in May, during which Katy Perry sang her hit song “Firework” and Pitbull performed.
As part of the celebrations, the family staged a mass wedding for over 50 impoverished couples on July 2.
Last week, Justin Bieber performed for hundreds of guests at a pre-wedding concert, which also featured Bollywood stars Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, and Salman Khan.
Ambani also made headlines in 2018 when Beyoncé sang at his daughter’s pre-wedding festivities. Former US Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry met Indian celebrities and Bollywood stars in Udaipur, western India.
SOURCE | AP
