Ivanka Trump, Bill Gates among guests at pre-wedding for son of Asia’s richest man in India

Around 1,200 celebrities and businesspeople were invited to the lavish event in Jamnagar

Donald Trump’s eldest daughter Ivanka, as well as tech billionaires Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg attended a three-day pre-wedding event for Anant Ambani, the son of Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani.

The elder Ambani, 66, is the chair of Reliance Industries, which does business in energy, petrochemicals, retail, telecommunications, mass media, entertainment, and textiles. According to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, the Indian mogul is the 11th-richest person in the world and No.1 in Asia, with an estimated net worth of around $111 billion.

His youngest son Anant, 28, is set to marry Radhika Merchant, the daughter of the CEO of Encore Healthcare pharmaceuticals and consumer healthcare company, Viren Merchant, this July, according to local media reports.  

On Friday, a lavish pre-wedding ceremony was held in the city of Jamnagar on India’s western coast. 

Time magazine said the guest list included around 1,200 Indian and international celebrities and business people, including BlackRock investment company co-founder Larry Fink and former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Reuters reported that Disney CEO Bob Iger was also likely among those invited. 

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Ivanka Trump wrote on Instagram on Friday that she had a “magical evening” in Jamnagar. “Sending warm wishes to Anant and Radhika for endless happiness and love as they embark on this wonderful adventure together,” she wrote.    

Zuckerberg also posted photos from the celebration on his Instagram page. “Love an Indian wedding. Congrats to Anant and Radhika!” the Meta CEO wrote. 

The guests were entertained by pop-star Rihanna on Friday, who performed 19 songs, including hits such as ‘Umbrella’, ‘Diamonds’, and ‘Work,’ according to NME’s website. “The show was the best,” the Barbadian singer told journalists, adding that it was the first time in eight years that she did a full set on stage. India Today reported that Rihanna was paid $8-9 million for her performance.  

The pre-wedding ceremony was preceded by a communal dinner for residents of Jamnagar hosted by the bride- and groom-to-be. According to The Hindu outlet, around 51,000 people attended.