Forbes released its 2025 Billionaire List on Wednesday morning, highlighting the 3,028 dollar billionaires worldwide. Among them, 205 hail from India, spanning various industries, including entertainment and media. Notably, Bollywood has only one billionaire, an entrepreneur who once manufactured toothbrushes and has now amassed more wealth than the biggest superstars of the industry.
Bollywood’s Wealthiest Individual
According to Forbes, the only person from the Hindi film industry to surpass the billion-dollar mark is media mogul and entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala. His net worth stands at $1.5 billion, making him richer than any superstar in Bollywood. In fact, his wealth exceeds the combined net worth of the industry’s biggest names. Shah Rukh Khan, valued at $770 million, Salman Khan at $390 million, and Aamir Khan at $220 million, collectively have a net worth of $1.38 billion—still short of Screwvala’s staggering fortune. Additionally, he surpasses other wealthy figures in Bollywood, including Gulshan Kumar, whose net worth is approximately $900 million, and Aditya Chopra, valued at $800 million.
Ronnie Screwvala’s Journey in Bollywood
Born in Bombay in 1956, Screwvala embarked on his entrepreneurial career in the late 1970s by manufacturing toothbrushes. When color television arrived in India in the early 1980s, fueled by the Asian Games, he seized the opportunity and pioneered cable TV across Indian metropolitan areas. This venture opened doors for him in the entertainment industry.
In 1990, Screwvala founded UTV, which later evolved into UTV Motion Pictures. Over the next two decades, the company produced several iconic films, including Swades, Rang De Basanti, Khosla Ka Ghosla, Jodhaa Akbar, Fashion, Delhi Belly, and Barfi!. It also delivered popular television shows such as Shanti, Hip Hip Hurray, Shaka Laka Boom Boom, Khichdi, and Shararat.
A major turning point came in 2012 when Screwvala sold UTV to Disney in a billion-dollar deal, exiting the company. However, his involvement in the entertainment world did not end there. Five years later, he returned to the industry by establishing RSVP Movies. Under this banner, he produced films such as Kedarnath, Uri, The Sky Is Pink, and Sam Bahadur. In 2024, he expanded his presence in the media by making his screen debut as one of the investors, or “sharks,” on Shark Tank India.
The Billionaire’s Multiple Ventures
Screwvala’s wealth is not solely derived from his film ventures. The 68-year-old has diversified his investments, playing a key role in founding and expanding multiple successful startups. Notably, he has stakes in UpGrad, Unilazer, and USports. These business ventures, coupled with his continued presence in the film industry, have enabled him to build his extraordinary fortune.