For richer, for poorer: How Anant Ambani's lavish £120m pre-wedding attended ... trends now
The lavish pre-wedding festivities for the son of one of the world’s richest men took place over the weekend just yards from where some of the poorest people on earth eke out a living by surviving on as little as £4 per day.
Billionaire Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani is reported to have spent a staggering £120 million on three-days of festivities which saw a dazzling invite list of global tech CEOs, Bollywood stars, pop icons and politicians descend on the normally sleepy city of Jamnagar in western India.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Meta head Mark Zuckerberg, Ivanka Trump and dozens of other illustrious names enjoyed sumptuous food in opulent surroundings, stayed in luxury accommodation especially built for the occasion and were entertained by Rihanna, who was paid an estimated £5 million for a two-hour set.
Guests indulged themselves in the most splendid manner possible during the extravagant weekend but for many of those living nearby it was a sorry tale of poverty and deprivation a million miles from the opulence on their doorstep.
Usman Ali, 44 barely had time to look up as he stirred a large pan of boiling water as luxury cars roared past carrying Mr Ambani’s high-profile guests to a large, gated compound where they were staying.
For many of those living nearby it was a sorry tale of poverty and deprivation a million miles from the opulence on their doorstep
Jamnagar is ordinarily a very sleepy city
The city rarely sees such extravagant displays of wealth
Anant Ambani is marrying Radhika Merchant in July, but the pre-wedding bash reportedly cost £120 million
He arrives at a shabby roadside stall not far from its main entrance to make tea, starting at 6am and finishing at 11pm, seven days a week, earning £4 per day.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, he told MailOnline: ‘It’s a pity that these rich and famous people won’t be stopping to taste my tea. I can promise you it’s a lot better than anything these fancy chefs make.
‘I’ve heard about this wedding party and how much is being spent. But I don’t understand the sums they are talking about because it’s another world for me. I can’t even say £120 million, let alone think about it.’
He added: ‘I’ve worked at this tea stall since I was a child. Life is very hard for me, and I don’t have time to worry too much about what Mr Ambani is doing and how he’s spending his money.’
Mark Zuckerberg (pictured, centre) was one of the thousands of the world's elite who attended
People in the city survive on as little as £4 a day
Mahesh Haribhai, 44, who owns the tea stall, revealed that he makes around £15 each day
Mahesh Haribhai, 44, who owns the tea stall, revealed that he makes around £15 each day.
He added: ‘I’m just a little, poor man. The Ambanis are very well known around here, but they’ve never stopped at my stall for a cup of tea. It’s an obscene amount of money to spend on a wedding and even if I had it, I wouldn’t do it.
‘You could put this money to much better use by helping the poor. I don’t think these rich and famous people who have come from all over the world will be speaking to us to get an understanding of what life is like for us. But we look after each other and make sure nobody goes hungry.’
Nearby, Ali Mohammed was dragging himself around in the dust as he begged while a woman in her 90s sat under a tree quivering while holding out her hand for money.
Mr Mohammed, who lost his leg in an accident when he was aged eight, said: ‘This is my regular spot and the only thing I can do to make money is beg. I’ve heard about this wedding, but it doesn’t mean anything to me. Maybe these rich people could help me?’
The lavish festivities for the forthcoming marriage of Mr Ambani’s son Anant to wealthy industrialist’s daughter Radhika Merchant took place within a large gated 750-acre compound called Reliance Greens
Many of those spoken to by MailOnline were poor even by Indian standards, earning an average monthly salary of between £110-£120
According to statistics, the average monthly salary in the country is around £440
India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world with a record 169 Indians on the Forbes’ World’s Billionaire’s list
Raj, a local resident said: ‘These beggars are here every day and are lucky to make around £3. We buy them food and give what we can but it’s not a lot.
‘Like a lot of us in this area, it’s all about survival. As far as I’m concerned, these rich and famous people are only interested in promoting themselves.’
The lavish festivities for the forthcoming marriage of Mr Ambani’s son Anant to wealthy industrialist’s daughter Radhika Merchant took place within a large gated 750-acre compound called Reliance Greens, which was patrolled by armed guards during the event.
It was built by Mr Ambani’s Reliance Industries company for some his workers at a nearby oil refinery but had been temporarily converted into what can be described a ‘five-star celebrity campus’ to house high-profile guests.
Reliance is India’s biggest company by market capitalisation while Mr Ambani, 66 is the world's 10th-richest person, according to the Forbes billionaires list, worth more than $116billion and is the richest man in India and Asia.
His wife Nita Ambani, 60 has not been shy to take to social media to proclaim the family’s huge wealth over the past few days.
Bill Gates and Paula Hurd pose during the pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant
