Mukesh Ambani is the Indian chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, the energy-to-telecom-to-retail conglomerate founded by his father, Dhirubhai. He built the world’s largest oil-refining complex, then detonated India’s mobile market with Reliance Jio — and has for years ranked as Asia’s richest person.
| Full Name | Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani |
| Born | 19 April 1957, Aden, Yemen (then a British colony) |
| Age | 69 (as of 2026) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Businessman; chairman and MD of Reliance Industries |
| Known For | Reliance Industries, Reliance Jio, Reliance Retail |
| Net Worth (est.) | About $92 billion (Forbes est., 2025) |
Early Life: From Aden to a Modest Mumbai Flat
Ambani was born in Aden, Yemen, where his father Dhirubhai was working at a trading firm. The family returned to India in 1958, and Dhirubhai founded the business that became Reliance, starting in spices and textiles. Despite the growing fortune, the Ambanis lived for years in a modest two-room apartment in Bhuleshwar, Mumbai — a detail the family retells to underline its middle-class roots. Mukesh studied chemical engineering at Mumbai’s Institute of Chemical Technology, then enrolled in an MBA at Stanford University in California. In 1981 his father called him home, mid-degree, to build a polyester plant — the start of his life inside Reliance.
Refineries, and the Brothers’ Split
Through the 1980s and 1990s Ambani drove Reliance’s march backwards from textiles into polyester, petrochemicals and refining, commissioning the enormous Jamnagar complex in Gujarat in 1999 — today the largest oil-refining site in the world. When Dhirubhai died in 2002 without a will, Reliance passed jointly to Mukesh and his younger brother Anil; a bitter public feud ended with a 2005 settlement brokered by their mother, Kokilaben, which split the group: Mukesh kept the oil, refining and petrochemical core, while Anil took telecom, power and finance. The two empires diverged sharply from there — Mukesh’s Reliance compounded, while Anil’s businesses later collapsed into insolvency.
Jio, Retail and the Second Reinvention
Ambani’s second act reshaped Indian daily life. Reliance Retail, launched in 2006, became India’s largest retailer; then in 2016 he re-entered telecom with Reliance Jio, offering free voice calls and dirt-cheap 4G data. Jio signed up 100 million users in 170 days, forced a brutal industry consolidation, and grew past 450 million subscribers, making India the world’s cheapest big data market. In 2020, mid-pandemic, Ambani raised more than $20 billion by selling stakes in Jio Platforms to Facebook, Google and global investors. Since 2021 he has pledged roughly $75 billion-plus of investment in green energy, including solar and battery ‘giga factories’ in Jamnagar, while his three children have taken board seats to run the new businesses.
Mukesh Ambani Net Worth
Forbes estimated Ambani’s net worth at about $92 billion in 2025, keeping him at the top of its India rich list and, once again, Asia’s richest person. The Ambani family holds roughly half of Reliance Industries, so the estimate moves with the share price of a group spanning refining margins, telecom tariffs and retail valuations. As with all such rankings, Forbes’ number is calculated from public holdings at a snapshot date — Reliance’s market swings can add or subtract several billion dollars in a single quarter.
Personal Life and Family
Ambani married Nita Ambani, a former schoolteacher who founded the Reliance Foundation and the Dhirubhai Ambani International School, in 1985. Their three children now anchor the succession plan: twins Akash (chairman of Reliance Jio) and Isha (leading Reliance Retail), and Anant, who heads the energy transition businesses; all three joined the Reliance board in 2023. The family home, Antilia, is a 27-storey private residence on Mumbai’s Altamount Road, routinely described as one of the most expensive houses in the world. Anant’s 2024 wedding celebrations, attended by global business and entertainment figures, underlined the family’s unmatched social reach in India.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Mukesh Ambani?
He was born on 19 April 1957, making him 69 years old in 2026.
What is Mukesh Ambani’s net worth?
Forbes estimated about $92 billion in 2025, from the family’s roughly 50 per cent stake in Reliance Industries.
Is Mukesh Ambani the richest person in Asia?
Yes on Forbes’ 2025 list — he has traded the Asian top spot over the years but ranked first in India and Asia in 2025.
What is Reliance Jio?
Reliance’s telecom arm, launched by Ambani in 2016 with free calls and very cheap 4G data; it has grown to more than 450 million subscribers.
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Net worth and salary figures are estimates based on publicly available sources and may change over time.
