Gautam Adani — Key Facts
| Full Name | Gautam Shantilal Adani |
| Born | June 24, 1962 — Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Net Worth (2024) | ~$80–100 billion (varies with market) |
| Company | Adani Group (Chairman & Founder) |
| Sectors | Ports, Energy, Infrastructure, Media, Cement |
| Residence | Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India |
Gautam Adani is an Indian billionaire industrialist and the founder and chairman of the Adani Group, one of India’s largest and most diversified conglomerates. From humble beginnings as a diamond sorter in Mumbai, Adani built a business empire spanning ports, airports, power generation, transmission, renewable energy, gas distribution, edible oils, cement, media, and defense. He is regularly ranked among the wealthiest individuals in the world.
Early Life and Rise to Wealth
Born on June 24, 1962, in Ahmedabad, Gautam Adani dropped out of college and moved to Mumbai at 18 to work as a diamond sorter. He returned to Ahmedabad in the mid-1980s and entered the commodity trading business. In 1988, he founded Adani Enterprises Limited (initially Adani Exports). His big breakthrough came in 1995 when he won a contract to develop and operate the Mundra Port in Gujarat — which grew into India’s largest commercial port and the cornerstone of the Adani empire.
Who Owns the Adani Group?
The Adani Group is primarily owned and controlled by Gautam Adani and his family through a series of privately held holding companies. The Adani family holds majority stakes — often exceeding 70% — in most of the publicly listed Adani entities on Indian stock exchanges, including Adani Enterprises, Adani Ports, Adani Green Energy, Adani Power, Adani Total Gas, and others. In 2022, the group came under scrutiny following a short-seller report by Hindenburg Research alleging stock manipulation and fraud, which the Adani Group denied.
Net Worth Overview
Gautam Adani’s net worth has seen dramatic swings. He briefly became the world’s third-richest person in 2022 with an estimated net worth exceeding $150 billion. Following the Hindenburg Research report in January 2023, his net worth fell sharply by tens of billions within weeks. By 2024–2025, his net worth stabilized in the $80–100 billion range, keeping him among the world’s top 20 wealthiest individuals and the richest or second-richest in Asia depending on the period.
Adani Group’s Major Businesses
The Adani conglomerate is India’s largest port operator (through Adani Ports & SEZ), one of the largest private power producers (Adani Power), the largest private renewable energy company (Adani Green Energy), and a major player in airport management (operating 7+ Indian airports). The group also owns Adani Wilmar (edible oils, listed), acquired NDTV (India’s major news channel), and holds interests in cement through Ambuja Cements and ACC following their acquisition from Holcim in 2022 for ~$10.5 billion.
