Gopichand Hinduja, head of the UK’s wealthiest family, has died at the age of 85.
Known as GP, Mr. Hinduja and his family amassed their fortune through the Indian multinational conglomerate, the Hinduja Group, with operations spanning 11 sectors including finance, media and entertainment, and oil.
The group employs approximately 200,000 individuals worldwide.
In a statement, the Hinduja family expressed their profound sorrow: “He will leave a deep hole at the heart of our family.”
They added that Mr. Hinduja would be “remembered for his formidable work.”
Instrumental in transforming his father’s initial textile and trading businesses, Mr. Hinduja played a key role in establishing the Hinduja Group as a global conglomerate and one of India’s foremost companies.
The Hinduja family topped The Sunday Times Rich List most recently, boasting a net worth of £35.3 billion. They also secured the 11th position on Forbes’ 2024 list of India’s 100 richest businesspeople.
Mr. Hinduja was the second of four brothers who collectively steered the business for decades.
Srichand, the eldest of the brothers, passed away in 2023 at the age of 87.
The future leadership of the conglomerate remains uncertain. Ashok, the youngest brother, currently oversees the group’s operations in India, which include the truck manufacturer Ashok Leyland.
The family also holds substantial real estate assets in London, including numerous prominent residences near St James’s Park and the Old War Office in Whitehall, which has recently undergone refurbishment to include a hotel.
While largely maintaining a low public profile, Mr. Hinduja was involved in the controversial “Hinduja affair” in 2001, which led to Lord Peter Mandelson’s resignation as a Member of Parliament.
Mr. Hinduja had corresponded with Mr. Mandelson regarding his brother Prakash’s application for British citizenship, following a £1 million donation by the family’s charity to the Millennium Dome, for which Mr. Mandelson was responsible.
Mr. Mandelson subsequently resigned, but was later exonerated of any wrongdoing after an official inquiry.
Prakash Hinduja, along with his wife, their son, and his wife, were convicted by a Swiss court last year for exploiting domestic staff at their Geneva residence.