Gautam Adani

Gautam Shantilal Adani (born 24 June 1962) is an Indian billionaire industrialist and businessman. He founded Adani Group, a multinational company which is involved in port development and operations in India.[1] He is the present president of Adani Foundation. As of December 2022, he had a net worth of US$138.1 billion (according to Forbes) and $133 billion (according to Bloomberg), making him the richest person in Asia and the seventh richest person in the world.[2] Early in 2023 the value of his listed companies fell by over $100 billion after his group was accused of accounting fraud and stock price manipulation.[3]

Gautam Adani
Gautam Adani Net Worth.jpg
Born
Gautam Shantilal Adani

OccupationBusinessman
Years active1978–present
OrganisationAdani Group
TitleFounder and chairman of the Adani Group
Spouse(s)Priti Adani
Children2
RelativesVinod Adani (brother)

When Adani was a teenager went to Mumbai in 1978 to work as a diamond sorter for Mahendra Brothers.[4] Later, he and his brother Mahasukbhai set up a PVC unit in Ahemdabad and stated global trading operations.[5] After some time, Adani created his own company as Adani Enterprise. The company only dealt in agricultural and power commodities.[6]

He was in the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel during the 2008 Mumbai attacks.[7][8] In September 2020, Adani acquired a 74% stake in Mumbai International Airport.[9]

Controversies

In 2002, Adani was arrested by the Delhi Police because a court had issued a non-bailable warrant after a senior official from M S Shoes filed a cheating complaint. The next day, the court cancelled the warrant after being told that both sides were discussing a possible settlement.[10]

On 21 November 2024, a district court in New York charged Gautam Adani and his associates with paying more than US$250 million in bribes to Indian government officials to get favourable energy contracts.[11]

In September 2025, the Indian National Congress accused the Central Government of ‘gifting’ 1,050 acres of land in Pirpainti, Bhagalpur district, Bihar, to Adani Power Limited for a thermal power plant.[12] They claimed the land was leased for just Re 1 per year for 33 years, and that the land also had around one million trees on it.[13]

Personal life

Gautam Adani married Priti Vora, a dentist, in 1986. They have two sons, Karan and Jeet. Priti Adani is the chairperson of the Adani Foundation, the charity arm of the Adani Group.[14]

Gautam Adani Media

References

  1. Gautam Adani Bloomberg Index. https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/gautam-s-adani/. Retrieved 11 February 2022. 
  2. "Real Time Billionaires". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  3. Cornish, Chloe (2023-05-18). "Adani seeks to woo bankers with three-day tour after short seller’s attack". Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/9f753409-95ff-443f-8ae6-a3871c44c235. Retrieved 2023-07-10. 
  4. Tumbe, Chinmay (2017-12-12). "Transnational Indian Business in the Twentieth Century". Business History Review. 91 (4): 651–679. doi:10.1017/S0007680517001350. S2CID 158483062.
  5. Joseph, Anto T. (8 December 2007). "Gautam Adani: Another Gujarati who made it big". The Economic Times. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/gautam-adani-another-gujarati-who-made-it-big/articleshow/2605913.cms. Retrieved 23 May 2022. 
  6. Joseph, Anto T. (8 December 2007). "Gautam Adani: Another Gujarati who made it big". The Economic Times. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/gautam-adani-another-gujarati-who-made-it-big/articleshow/2605913.cms. Retrieved 23 May 2022. 
  7. Sazonov, Alexander; Shrivastava, Bhuma; Sanjai, P R (13 December 2020). "Billionaire Survivor of Ransom, Terror Attacks Now Rivals Ambani" (in en). Bloomberg.com. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-13/billionaire-survivor-of-ransom-terror-attacks-now-rivals-ambani. Retrieved 13 December 2020. 
  8. Shukla, Nimish (28 November 2008). "Gautam Adani felt safe in Taj toilet" (in en). The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Gautam-Adani-felt-safe-in-Taj-toilet/articleshow/3767246.cms. Retrieved 13 December 2020. 
  9. Karmali, Naazneen. "India's 10 Richest Billionaires 2021". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  10. Court withdraws NBWs against Adani. 13 December 2002. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/court-withdraws-nbws-against-adani/articleshow/31099790.cms. 
  11. (in en) Gautam Adani indicted in New York over alleged multibillion-dollar fraud scheme. https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/gautam-adani-indicted-in-new-york-over-alleged-multibillion-dollar-fraud-scheme/cid/2064760. Retrieved 2025-12-01. 
  12. The Hindu Bureau (2025-09-15). "Congress accuses government of ‘gifting’ 1,050 acres of land in Bihar’s Bhagalpur to Gautam Adani" (in en-IN). The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X . https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bihar/congress-accuses-govt-of-gifting-1050-acres-of-land-in-bihars-bhagalpur-to-gautam-adani/article70053044.ece. Retrieved 2025-12-01. 
  13. "Congress: Adani group given 1,050 acres land at rate of Rs 1 per year". The Times of India. 2025-09-16. ISSN 0971-8257 . https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/patna/congress-adani-group-given-1050-acres-land-at-rate-of-rs-1-per-year/articleshow/123907629.cms. Retrieved 2025-12-01. 
  14. "Who is Priti Adani? Know all about Gautam Adani's wife and Adani Foundation chairperson". www.timesnownews.com. 2022-04-28. Retrieved 2025-12-01.

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