The pre-wedding celebrations of Radhika-Anant was a star studded affair

Last weekend, Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani hosted pre-wedding festivities for his son, 28-year-old Anant Ambani, which was a lavish affair with no expense spared. The younger Ambani married his childhood sweetheart Radhika Merchant, the 29-year-old daughter of another Indian billionaire, Viren Merchant.

While the wedding itself wouldn’t take place until July, a three-day pre-wedding bash kicked off on Friday, Mar. 1 in the family’s refinery township of Jamnagar in the Indian state of Gujarat. Some of the biggest players from Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and the entertainment industry were on the guest list.

That included a performance by global superstar Rihanna, whose touchdown in India on Feb. 29 broke the internet after pictures of her colossal luggage began circulating online. The star-studded guest list of 1,200 also included Bill Gates, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Blackrock co-founder Larry Fink, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, former Canadian PM Stephen Harper, former Australian PM Kevin Rudd, and Ivanka Trump. Fellow Indian billionaires Gautam Adani and Kumar Mangalam Birla were also expected to be there, along with a slate of Indian cricketers and Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone.

Indians were transfixed by the details of the opulent pre-wedding celebrations, which took place in a 3,000-acre garden with a mango orchard in the Ambanis’ home estate. Along with Rihanna, the event also featured a performance by American illusionist David Blaine. According to a Reuters report, guests were given directions to don “jungle fever” outfits for a glitzy cocktail party. There were visits to the Ambanis’ animal rescue center. There was also a lavish gala with over 2,500 dishes cooked by a team of 65 chefs. Guests were offered hair styling, make-up, and saree draping services, as well as return charter jet flights from New Delhi and Mumbai.