The youngest son of Mukesh Ambani—the wealthiest person in India—and his fiancée have organised a parade of pop stars to perform at their opulent wedding and pre-wedding in recent months, with Justin Bieber jetting to India for a private pre-wedding gig.
Anant Ambani, son of billionaire tycoon and Chairman of Reliance Industries Mukesh Ambani, poses for a picture with his fiancee, Radhika Merchant, on July 5. Over the weekend, Justin Bieber joined the likes of Katy Perry and Rihanna, who had previously performed at pre-wedding events for the soon-to-be Ambanis.
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
- Justin Bieber—who posted photos and videos from the performance on Instagram on Saturday—performed for the couple, their family and friends in Mumbai at a pre-wedding event this weekend, according to the BBC.
- Months earlier, Rihanna performed her first full-length concert in years at the couple’s first pre-wedding party in March, where magician David Blaine, Akon and a number of Bollywood performers were also scheduled to perform.
- In May, the couple had a second pre-wedding event that took place on and off of a cruise ship in Italy and featured performances from David Guetta, The Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, Andrea Bocelli and Pitbull, according to Vanity Fair.
- Artists are often tight-lipped about their fees for private gigs, but the BBC notes the Ambanis were rumoured to pay Bieber around $10 million and Rihanna about $7 million, while a local news outlet put Rihanna and her team’s haul at just south of $9 million.
What To Watch For
Who performs at the actual wedding on Friday. BBC reported there are rumors Adele will be the performer, but the family has not confirmed anything.
News Peg
Anant Ambani, whose father is the chairman of Reliance Industries and Asia’s richest man, is set to marry businesswoman and daughter of Indian pharmaceutical tycoons Radhika Merchant in ceremonies next weekend. The first pre-wedding event in March was attended by a number of billionaires, including Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, and other notable names, including Karlie Kloss and Ivanka Trump.
Forbes Valuation
Forbes estimates Mukesh Ambani—who was named the richest person in India by Forbes last year—to have a net worth of about $124 billion as of Monday afternoon, making him the 11th wealthiest person in the world. His company Reliance is involved in industries like energy, telecom and retail.
Surprising Fact
One of the pop stars hired by the Ambani family is a fellow member of the billionaires’ club: Forbes estimates Rihanna’s net worth at $1.4 billion, partly due to her cosmetics line, a hefty sum even if it’s a far cry from Ambani’s 12-figure fortune.
Key Background
The couple got engaged in a traditional ceremony in January 2023, according to USA Today, and are reportedly childhood sweethearts. In March, Merchant told Vogue she recognises the ceremonies and events the couple is having “is a privilege few people experience, and I truly feel blessed.” But Ambani and Merchant are far from the only well-heeled people who have hired pop stars to perform at weddings, birthday parties, corporate functions and other events.
The New Yorker reported last May “most big-name musicians are available (for private concerts) these days, under the right conditions,” adding rapper Flo Rida charges between $150,000 and $300,000 for stateside gigs, and up to $1 million for international private gigs.
Tangent
When Mukesh Ambani’s daughter, Isha, was married in 2018, Beyoncé headlined the pre-wedding party. A year later when his son, Akash, was married, Chris Martin of Coldplay and the Chainsmokers performed.
This article was first published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
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