Gautam Adani Net Worth

Gautam Adani, one of India’s most influential business magnates, has built a sprawling industrial empire that has earned him a net worth of $70 billion. Known globally as the founder and chairman of the Adani Group, his fortune has soared to make him one of the wealthiest individuals in Asia and, at times, among the richest in the world.

From modest beginnings in Gujarat to running one of the largest conglomerates in the world, Adani’s journey is a classic story of ambition, risk-taking, and aggressive expansion across multiple sectors.

Gautam Adani Net Worth: $70 Billion
Date of Birth: June 24, 1962
Place of Birth: Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Nationality: Indian

Table of Contents

From Dropout to Billionaire

Born on June 24, 1962, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Gautam Adani came from a modest Jain family. One of eight siblings, he attended Sheth Chimanlal Nagindas Vidyalaya and later enrolled at Gujarat University to study commerce. However, he dropped out after his second year—choosing real-world business experience over textbooks.

At just 16, Adani moved to Mumbai and began working as a diamond sorter for Mahendra Brothers. It was here that he developed his trading instincts, which would later become the cornerstone of his vast empire.

Building the Adani Group

Gautam Adani took his first major entrepreneurial leap in 1988 by founding the Adani Group with Adani Enterprises as its flagship company. Initially a commodity trading firm, the group grew rapidly following India’s economic liberalization in the early 1990s. Adani seized opportunities in sectors such as:

Coal trading
Metals and textiles
Agri-products
Infrastructure and logistics

The turning point came in 1999, when the group shifted focus to building infrastructure assets, including ports, power plants, and railways. In 2006, it entered power generation, and today, the conglomerate spans over 50 countries with an annual revenue exceeding $15 billion.

Major Business Arms of the Adani Group

The Adani Group now oversees a range of subsidiaries, many of which are industry leaders:

Adani Ports & SEZ – India’s largest commercial port operator
Adani Power – A key player in thermal and renewable energy
Adani Transmission – One of India’s biggest private power transmission firms
Adani Green Energy – Among the world’s top renewable energy companies
Adani Wilmar – A consumer goods leader in edible oils and food processing
Adani Airport Holdings – Manages several major Indian airports
Adani Cement, Adani Solar, Adani Mining, and Adani Defence – Critical to India’s industrial growth

Surging Wealth

In early 2022, Adani’s net worth stood at $75 billion, making him the 13th richest person in the world. Within just five months, his wealth skyrocketed by $50 billion, largely due to soaring stock prices of Adani Group companies.

By April 2022, Adani’s net worth reached a staggering $125 billion, briefly placing him above Warren Buffett as the fifth richest person globally. While market volatility and regulatory scrutiny have since impacted the valuation of his companies, Adani remains firmly among the top tier of global billionaires.

Sports

Beyond business, Adani has spearheaded several initiatives through Adani Foundation, founded in 1996. The Foundation promotes:

Education: Funding schools like Adani Vidyalayas and Navchetan Vidyalaya
Healthcare: Partnering with the Gujarat government to establish the Gujarat Adani Institute of Medical Sciences
Sustainable livelihoods: Through projects like SuPoshan, Saksham, and Udaan

In sports, the group supports talent through Garv Hai, a program for Indian athletes launched ahead of the 2016 Olympics. The group also sponsors facilities like Surguja Football Academy and holds naming rights to the Adani Arena in Australia and a pavilion at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Controversies

Gautam Adani’s meteoric rise hasn’t been without controversy. The group faced significant backlash over a $21.5 billion coal mining project in Australia’s Galilee Basin, sparking international protests over environmental impact.

In India, Adani Group has been linked to allegations involving tax evasion and overseas fund diversion. Though the conglomerate has denied any wrongdoing, these incidents have occasionally put the group under the regulatory microscope.

Personal Life

Adani is married to Priti Adani, a dentist by profession and the current chairperson of the Adani Foundation. The couple has two sons.

Despite immense success, Gautam Adani has faced personal threats. In 1998, he was kidnapped and held for ransom, and in 2008, he was present at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel during the Mumbai terror attacks—both events underscoring the volatility that can shadow power and prominence.