Report: Indian businessman Gautam Adani overtakes Jeff Bezos as world’s second richest person

Indian business mogul Gautam Adani has become the second richest person in the world with an estimated fortune of $146.8 billion, ousting Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to number 3 according to Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index.

Adani is the first person from Asia to rank in the index’s top three, Bloomberg reported as the billionaire ranked third last month. Elon Musk remains the world’s No. 1 richest person at an estimated $263.9 billion.

The founder and chairman of the Adani Group industrial conglomerate in India has seen significant and rapid growth in his wealth this year, outperforming his Indian business peers Mukesh Ambani, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet on the index. The business mogul started 2022 at 14th place in the rankings and only took months to reach second place, Bloomberg reported.

Adani added $60.9 billion to his fortune this year alone, while others on the list have lost money, Bloomberg found. In July, Bill Gates — currently No. 5 on the list — pledged $20 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Associated Press reported. Warren Buffett — No. 6 on the list — has already donated more than $30 billion to the Gates Foundation, according to the AP.

Jeff Bezos’ fortune fell on Tuesday — making way for Adani to overtake him on the billionaire index — as Amazon stock fell on fresh inflation data.

Adani, a college dropout, built his fortune in the coal industry and now owns seven Adani Group public companies in industries including energy, mining, airports and defense. The mogul has been criticized by environmentalists over mining operations, but last year pledged $70 billion for green energy, which would make the Adani group the world’s largest producer of renewable energy, according to Bloomberg.