Gopichand Hinduja, Britain's richest man, has died

Gopichand Hinduja, an Indian entrepreneur and billionaire, the richest man in Great Britain, died on Tuesday at the age of 85, the British daily Financial Times reported. The net worth of the publicity-shy family of the businessman's family is estimated at £35.3 billion.

As the newspaper recalled, Hinduja and his older brother Srichand moved to London in the 1980s. They operated the Hinduja Group from there, investing in various sectors including banking, real estate, petroleum and the entertainment industry. Currently, this group employs approximately 150,000. people all over the world. Srichand died in 2023.

The family business was created by the brothers' father, Parmanand, who in 1914 started trading carpets, tea and spices in what was then British India, now Pakistan. He later moved the business to Iran. Hinduja himself joined the company in 1959.

The FT admitted that “it is unclear whether leadership of the group will pass to one of the two remaining Hinduja brothers.” The youngest, Ashok, carries out operations in India, including managing flagship companies: Ashok Leyland, producing trucks and buses, and IndusInd Bank. The second brother, Prakash, is the president of Hinduja Group in Europe.

The British daily noted that all four brothers have been embroiled in legal disputes over the ownership of assets and power of attorney in recent years.

Hinduja, like his siblings, declared himself a teetotaler and vegetarian. He was known for his religious beliefs and belief in astrology.

From London Marta Zabłocka (PAP)

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