Manoj Bhargava

Manoj Bhargava
Born	1953 Lucknow, India
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, philanthropist
Years active	1990–present
Known for	Founder of Innovations Ventures LLC (Living Essentials LLC), creator of 5-hour Energy
Notable work	5-hour Energy

Manoj Bhargava (born 1953) is an Indian American entrepreneur and philanthropist. He founded and leads Innovations Ventures LLC, operating as Living Essentials LLC, the company behind the popular 5-hour Energy beverage. By 2012, the product had reportedly achieved around $1 billion in sales. Committing to global betterment, Bhargava pledged in 2015 to donate 99% of his fortune. In 2023, he stepped into the role of interim CEO at Sports Illustrated following Ross Levinsohn’s departure.

As of 2024, Bhargava is under scrutiny by the United States Senate Committee on Finance for undisclosed Swiss bank accounts and faces an ongoing criminal tax evasion investigation by both the Department of Justice and IRS. No official conclusions or public declarations have either confirmed misconduct or exonerated him; these inquiries remain active and unresolved.

Early life and education

Born in Lucknow, India, in 1953, Bhargava relocated with his family to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1967. His father was pursuing doctoral studies at the Wharton School of Business. Bhargava earned a mathematics scholarship to attend The Hill School and enrolled at Princeton University for a single year starting in 1972.

Career

Following his time in college, Bhargava spent twelve years moving among monasteries affiliated with the Hanslok Ashram while engaging in various administrative and construction roles. Subsequently, he joined his family’s plastic injection molding business, Bhar Incorporated, located in New Haven, Indiana. In 1990, he acquired Prime PVC Inc., a manufacturer specializing in outdoor furniture components, which he later sold in 2006. Additionally, he founded Chemicalpartners.com, a company dedicated to business innovations.

In 2003, Bhargava launched Innovations Ventures LLC (operating as Living Essentials LLC) and introduced 5-hour Energy to the market. By 2012, retail sales were estimated to have reached $1 billion. His entrepreneurial portfolio expanded to include MicroDose Life Sciences (a venture capital firm), Stage 2 Innovations LLC (a manufacturing laboratory), ETC Capital LLC (a private equity fund), Plymouth Real Estate Holdings LLC, and Oakland Energy and Water Ventures. In 2014, he also invested in Bleecker Street, a film distribution company based in New York City.

Bhargava appeared on ABC News' Nightline in 2012. That same year, Forbes reported that Innovations Ventures had engaged in approximately ninety legal disputes with competitors and suppliers since its inception in 2003; fourteen of these cases had been resolved or dismissed by 2012.

In a 2012 interview with Forbes, Bhargava referred to himself as "probably the wealthiest Indian in America." His net worth was estimated at $1.5 billion in 2013 but he was removed from Forbes’ billionaire rankings by 2014. The documentary Billions in Change released in 2015 cites a net worth exceeding $4 billion; however, this valuation has not been independently verified.

As a participant in the Giving Pledge, Bhargava vowed to contribute 99% of his assets toward philanthropic efforts. His charitable organizations include the Hans Foundation and Rural India Supporting Trust. In 2016, he announced an initiative to distribute 10,000 stationary power-generating bicycles to households in rural India.

In January 2022, through MBX Wyoming Inc., Bhargava acquired a controlling 90% interest in Freelancer Television Broadcasting, which owns network NewsNet along with stations WMNN-LD and WXII-LD. However, by August 2024, the network ceased operations abruptly and terminated all eighty employees.

In 2023, Bhargava introduced hydration beverage lines True Hydration, Cellular Hydration, and Natural Glow Hydration. That August marked his acquisition of a majority shareholding in Ross Levinsohn's The Arena Group, which manages several magazine brands.

Personal life

Bhargava is married, has one child, and lives in Farmington Hills, Michigan, United States.