Dropout to diamonds: 4 major events that shaped Gautam Adani, the world’s third richest person – the Indian billionaire’s journey from leaving university and jewel sorting to surviving a terror attack

Sep 2 , 2022

Indian billionaire Gautam Adani is one of the richest people in the world. Photo: Reuters

As Adani’s wealth has soared, he has overtaken Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Mukesh Ambani and Louis Vuitton’s Bernard Arnault to lie behind only Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos

After dropping out of Gujarat University, he worked at Mahindra Brothers in Mumbai – then survived the 2008 terrorist attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel

Gautam Adani’s incredible rise from university dropout to one of the world’s richest people has just become even more impressive after he made it to the top three of the world’s wealthiest on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The achievement puts him ahead of Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Mukesh Ambani and Louis Vuitton’s Bernard Arnault.

India’s Gautam Adani just became the world’s third richest person. Photo: @gautam_adani/Twitter

Adani is the first Asian to ever make it to the top three of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index and has an estimated fortune of US$143 billion, not far behind Jeff Bezos, though Elon Musk remains far ahead of them both in first place.

The Indian businessman comes from humble beginnings and has had his fair share of terrifying and life-shaping incidents that have defined his journey to unimaginable wealth.

Here are four stand-out moments that have made Adani who he is today …

1. Dropping out of university

Gautam Adani is a self-made man whose ambition has made him wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. Photo: @gautam_adani/Twitter

According to Global Hues, Adani was always an ambitious youngster who was determined to be a success in life. Although his family were business oriented, he did not want to go into the family trade, which was textiles. He also dropped out of his degree at Gujarat University in his second year and moved to Mumbai from Ahmedabad.

2. Sorting diamonds

As a young man, Gautam Adani was a diamond sorter in Mumbai, classifying stones by their shape, colour and quality. Photo: Unsplash

Leaving his family and studies behind, and with little money in his pocket, Adani landed a job at the Mahindra Brothers as a diamond sorter, reported Global Hues.