Gopichand Hinduja, the head of UK’s richest family, dies aged 85

The pinnacle of Britain’s richest household, Gopichand Hinduja, has died aged 85.Referred to as GP, Mr Hinduja and his household made their fortune from the Indian conglomerate Hinduja Group, which operates in 11 sectors together with finance, media and leisure, and oil.It has about 200,000 workers world wide.The household mentioned in an announcement: “He’ll go away a deep gap on the coronary heart of our household.”They added that he could be “remembered for his formidable work”.Mr Hinduja helped rework his father’s modest textile and buying and selling companies into a worldwide conglomerate and one in all India’s largest firms.Mr Hinduja and his household topped the newest Sunday Occasions Wealthy Record with a internet value of £35.3bn. Additionally they ranked eleventh on the Forbes checklist of India’s 100 richest businesspeople in 2024.Mr Hinduja was the second eldest of 4 brothers who managed the enterprise for many years.The oldest of the 4, Srichand, died in 2023 at 87.It isn’t identified who will now take over the management of the conglomerate. The youngest brother, Ashok, runs its operations throughout India together with truck maker Ashok Leyland.The household additionally personal important actual property in London, together with numerous giant houses close to to St James’s Park and Winston Churchill’s Previous Struggle Workplace in Whitehall, which has just lately been refurbished to incorporate a lodge.Mr Hinduja largely stored out of the general public eye however was concerned within the controversial “Hinduja affair” in 2001, which resulted in Lord Peter Mandelson resigning as an MP.Mr Hinduja had written to Mr Mandelson about his brother Prakash acquiring British citizenship, after the household’s charity had donated £1m to the Millennium Dome, for which Mr Mandelson was accountable.Mr Mandelson resigned consequently, however was later cleared of wrongdoing after an inquiry. Prakash, his spouse, their son and his spouse have been jailed by a Swiss court docket final yr for exploiting home workers of their Geneva mansion.