The Forbes Billionaire List for 2025 was released by the magazine on Wednesday morning. This comprehensive list includes a total of 3,028 dollar billionaires globally, with 205 hailing from India. Among them are several figures from the entertainment and media sectors, notably Bollywood's sole billionaire and the wealthiest individual in the industry—an entrepreneur who initially produced toothbrushes and has since surpassed even the most prominent superstars in wealth.

Bollywood's richest man

As reported by Forbes, the only billionaire from the Hindi film industry is film producer and entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala. His net worth is estimated at $1.5 billion, positioning him above every superstar in Bollywood, even exceeding the combined wealth of the industry's biggest names. For example, the total net worth of Shah Rukh Khan ($770 million), Salman Khan ($390 million), and Aamir Khan ($220 million) amounts to $1.38 billion, which is still less than Screwvala's remarkable fortune. He also significantly outstrips other affluent filmmakers in Bollywood, such as Gulshan Kumar (approximately $900 million) and Aditya Chopra ($800 million).

Ronnie Screwvala's tryst with Bollywood

Born in Bombay in 1956, Screwvala embarked on his entrepreneurial path by producing toothbrushes in the late 1970s. With the advent of color television in India during the early 1980s, he seized the opportunity presented by the cable TV boom, pioneering its introduction in major Indian cities. This success led him into the entertainment industry. In 1990, he established UTV, which later evolved into UTV Motion Pictures. Over the following two decades, the production company was responsible for iconic films such as Swades, Rang De Basanti, Khosla Ka Ghosla, Jodhaa Akbar, Fashion, Delhi Belly, and Barfi, as well as popular television shows like Shanti, Hip Hip Hurray, Shaka Laka Boom Boom, Khichdi, and Shararat.

In 2012, he divested UTV to Disney in a billion-dollar transaction, subsequently establishing RSVP Movies five years later. His return to the entertainment industry led to the production of films such as Kedarnath, Uri, The Sky Is Pink, and Sam Bahadur, among others. In 2024, Screwvala made his debut on screen as one of the investors on Shark Tank India.

How Ronnie Screwvala made his billions

However, cinema is not the sole avenue of income for Ronnie Screwvala. At 68 years old, he has invested in and founded numerous other startups, including UpGrad, Unilazer, and USports. The achievements of these ventures, along with his film production endeavors, have contributed significantly to his substantial wealth.

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