Gopichand Hinduja
Gopichand Parmanand Hinduja | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 29, 1940 Bombay, India |
| Citizenship | Indian, British (since 1997) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, Businessman |
| Known for | Chairman of Hinduja Group |
| Spouse | Sunita Hinduja |
| Children | Sanjay Hinduja, Dheeraj Hinduja, Rita Hinduja |
Gopichand Parmanand Hinduja (born 29 January 1940) is an Indian-British billionaire entrepreneur who leads the Indian multinational Hinduja Group. He served as co-chairman alongside his brother Srichand "S. P." Hinduja until the latter's passing in May 2023. Regularly featured among the wealthiest individuals in both the UK and Asia, he was ranked first on the Sunday Times Rich List 2024 with a family net worth estimated at £37 billion.
Business career
The Hinduja siblings began their professional journey working within their father’s textile and trading enterprises located in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, and Tehran, Iran. Their initial business activities involved exporting agricultural products such as onions and potatoes, alongside iron ore shipments from India to Iran.
During the 1980s, the Group expanded its portfolio by acquiring Ashok Leyland from British Leyland and purchasing Gulf Oil from Chevron. The subsequent decade marked the creation of banking institutions in Switzerland and India, elevating the Hinduja Group to the ranks of prominent Indian business houses like Tata, Birla, and Ambani. In 2012, they secured ownership of Houghton International, a leading US-based manufacturer of metal fluids, for $1.045 billion. This acquisition involved collaboration with private equity professionals including Ghouse Mohammed Asif from JP Morgan and former US Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson.
Wealth
By May 2024, Gopichand Hinduja was regarded as the wealthiest individual in the United Kingdom. His presence among the richest in both the UK and Asia has been consistent since the 1990s.
In 2013, Asian Media & Marketing Group appraised his fortune at GBP 19 billion ($24.7 billion). He led the Sunday Times Rich List in May 2017 with GBP 16.2 billion ($21 billion). The March 2018 Forbes ranking placed him and his brother as the world’s 55th richest billionaire family with a combined net worth of $19.5 billion.
The Hinduja brothers were once again recognized as the UK's richest by The Times in May 2019. Gopichand retained this position through 2022, with wealth estimates increasing to £35 billion in 2023 and £37.2 billion in 2024.
Early life
Born on 29 January 1940 to Parmanand Hinduja, Gopichand Hinduja received his education at Jai Hind College in Bombay.
Personal life
He is married to Sunita Hinduja, and together they have two sons—Sanjay Hinduja and Dheeraj Hinduja—and one daughter, Rita Hinduja. The family traces its roots to Sindhi heritage. Gopichand and his three brothers adhere to vegetarianism and abstain from alcohol.
In 2015, their son Sanjay Hinduja wed designer Anu Mahtani in Udaipur, India. The lavish ceremony, valued at £15 million, featured performances by pop artists Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Scherzinger, and actor Arjun Kapoor.
Citizenship
Gopichand acquired British citizenship in 1997. In 2001, he became linked to the UK's cash-for-passports controversy, having made a donation to the Millennium Dome during his naturalization process, an event that contributed to the resignation of Peter Mandelson.