Mumbai: Reliance CMD Mukesh Ambani and Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani, two of Asia's wealthiest individuals and India's richest billionaires, have both left Bloomberg's $100 billion club for the year due to various business challenges.
The wealthiest people in India, however, saw an increase in their net worth overall. Since January 2024, the top 20 have gained $67.3 billion, with tech mogul Shiv Nadar ($10.8 billion) and Savitri Jindal ($10.1 billion) making the most gains, the report said.
Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani are both grappling with challenges that are affecting their business empires and personal wealth. As per the Bloomberg list, Ambani's personal fortune took a hit when the retail and energy divisions of his company underperformed. His wealth which stood at $120.8 billion in July, when his son Anant got married lavishly, dropped to $96.7 billion as of December 13, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index (BBI), which has investors worried about rising debt.
The issues are more serious for Adani. A US Department of Justice (DoJ) investigation is threatening his conglomerate and might halt any progress as uncertainty extends. According to the BBI, Adani's net worth dropped from $122.3 billion in June to $82.1 billion as a result of the November probe. Adani has also been hit hard by the Hindenburg Research investigation and allegations of fraud.
According to Bloomberg, Adani and Ambani are thus no longer members of the "elite centibillionaires club," which comprises those with wealth exceeding $100 billion.
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Deir Al-Balah (AP): Israel has begun allowing Palestinians to return to the heavily destroyed north of the Gaza Strip for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas, in accordance with a fragile ceasefire.
Thousands of Palestinians headed north on Monday after waiting for days to cross. Associated Press reporters saw people crossing the so-called Netzarim corridor shortly after 7 am.
The opening was delayed over a dispute between Hamas and Israel, which said the group had changed the order of the hostages it released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.