Asia’s wealthiest billionaire Ambani heir set to spend $144M on European cruise pre-wedding festivities

Anant Ambani (R), the son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, and his fiancée Radhika Merchant. Photo handout via AFP

The India Times reports that the event kicked off on Wednesday and will last three days. It features a lavish cruise starting from Italy and navigating to the southern coast of France, spanning a total distance of 4,380 kilometers.

Around 800 guests have been invited, with notable figures from the Indian film industry including actors Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and British actress Alia Bhatt.

The couple’s initial pre-wedding celebrations took place from March 1-3 in Jamnagar, India, which included a performance by Barbadian pop and R&B sensation Rihanna. The Daily Mail states that the Ambani family paid Rihanna 5 million pounds (US$6.3 million) for her performance. The entire event reportedly cost 120 million pounds, with the catering alone costing 20 million pounds.

Distinguished guests at the event were Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, and former U.S. President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump.

The couple plans to officially wed in England this coming July.

Anant Ambani, 28, is the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, who oversees the Reliance Industries conglomerate, with annual revenues reported at US$110 billion.

Forbes reported on May 31 that Mukesh Ambani’s fortune is valued at US$112.2 billion, positioning him as the wealthiest individual in Asia and the 11th richest globally.

Radhika Merchant, 29, is the daughter of Shri Viren Merchant, who heads the renowned Indian healthcare firm Encore Healthcare.

Both Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant hold degrees from universities in the U.S.