SHAH ALAM – We all know who the richest man in the world is: Elon Musk. But who held that title in Britain?
Until this week, it was Gopichand Hinduja, co-chairman of the Hinduja Group and head of the UK’s wealthiest family, who died aged 85 after a prolonged illness.
His death marks the end of an era for one of the most powerful business dynasties in modern history, with an estimated family net worth of £35.3 billion in 2025.
According to The Financial Times, Gopichand passed away on Tuesday surrounded by family.
Affectionately known as “GP,” he led the multinational Hinduja Group, a sprawling conglomerate with interests in banking, energy, transport, real estate, media and healthcare.
For five consecutive years, the Hinduja family topped The Sunday Times Rich List, thanks to its vast global holdings and decades of strategic expansion across continents.
In a statement, the family said Gopichand would be remembered for his warmth and determination.
“He was humble and joyful, and a friend to everyone he met. He will also be remembered for his formidable work in building the Hinduja Group over the past 70 years into the global success it is today,” the statement read.
Born in 1939 in Mumbai, Gopichand was the second of four brothers who transformed a modest trading business founded by their father, Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, in 1914 into a global empire.
The family began by trading goods between India and Iran before expanding into shipping and finance.
After joining the family business in 1959, Gopichand and his elder brother, Srichand, relocated the group’s headquarters to London in the 1980s.
From there, they diversified aggressively, acquiring major stakes in Ashok Leyland, IndusInd Bank and Gulf Oil International.
Their success was built on a blend of traditional family values and global ambition, helping them establish operations in more than 30 countries and employ tens of thousands worldwide.
The Hinduja family became synonymous with wealth and influence in Britain, frequently hosting political and cultural figures at their grand London residence on Carlton House Terrace.
However, their prominence also brought controversy. In recent years, family members were involved in legal disputes over control of assets and in 2024, several were convicted by a Swiss court for alleged mistreatment of domestic staff, a ruling they are currently appealing.
Despite these challenges, Gopichand was widely respected for his business acumen and philanthropy. The Hinduja Foundation, founded in 1968, funds education, healthcare and social welfare projects across Asia and Europe.
In 2023, the group introduced its most ambitious project yet, The Old War Office (OWO) hotel and residences in London’s Whitehall, a £1.4 billion restoration of the historic government building once occupied by Sir Winston Churchill. Gopichand had called the project “my greatest legacy to London.”
He is survived by his wife, three children and two brothers, Prakash and Ashok, who continue to oversee the conglomerate’s various divisions.
Tributes have poured in from across the globe. Indian industrialist Naveen Jindal hailed him as “a symbol of Indian enterprise and global excellence,” while Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu praised him as “a visionary industrialist who transformed the group into a truly global conglomerate.”
Gopichand’s passing closes a remarkable chapter in the story of a family that rose from humble beginnings in pre-independence India to dominate international trade, finance and industry, all through persistence, adaptability and an enduring belief in family unity.