With Rs 13,000 crore, he tops even Shah Rukh Khan as Bollywood's richest person. Not an actor. Who is he?

Bollywood has always been associated with fame, luxury, and immense wealth, where actors and filmmakers are often seen as the industry’s richest and most influential figures. With superstar Shah Rukh Khan officially joining the billionaire club this year, many assumed he topped the list of the wealthiest personalities in Indian cinema. However, as per the Hurun India Rich List 2025 and Forbes a surprising name has quietly surpassed every Bollywood celebrity in terms of wealth.

Shah Rukh Khan Joins the Billionaire Club, But Not at the Top
The Hurun India Rich List 2025, released earlier this week, reported that Shah Rukh Khan’s net worth has climbed to $1.4 billion (approximately Rs 12,500 crore), making him one of the richest actors in the world. His consistent success in films and brand endorsements has solidified his place as India’s wealthiest entertainer.

Yet, even SRK’s staggering wealth doesn’t make him Bollywood’s richest individual. That distinction belongs to media entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala, whose fortune is valued at $1.5 billion (around Rs 13,314 crore). Interestingly, major producers like Bhushan Kumar and Aditya Chopra not feature on this year’s Hurun list.


The Man Behind the Empire: Ronnie Screwvala’s Rise
Ronnie Screwvala’s journey is marked by vision and entrepreneurship. From starting with toothbrush manufacturing in the 1980s, he became a pioneer in India’s cable TV industry and founded UTV in 1990, producing acclaimed films and eventually selling the company to Disney in a billion-dollar deal.

He later established RSVP Movies, delivering major hits, and expanded into education and investments through ventures like upGrad and Unilazer Ventures, which helped build his billionaire fortune.


Vision, Values, and Ventures Beyond Films
Screwvala’s approach to business is deeply rooted in discipline and independence. Coming from a lower-middle-class family, he often mentions that his father encouraged him to pursue his dreams but never offered financial assistance, teaching him self-reliance early in life.

Speaking at a Fortune India event, Screwvala reflected on how entrepreneurship was not a common pursuit in his early days. He shared that his father offered him moral support but no financial safety net, which shaped his self-reliant approach to business. He described his early struggles as valuable lessons that helped him understand the importance of risk-taking and self-discipline.


When Disney acquired UTV, Screwvala said many in the industry viewed his decision to exit as abandoning the media space. However, he saw it differently—an opportunity to work with one of the world’s biggest entertainment brands and to embrace change. Years later, he expressed no regrets about the decision, crediting it for broadening his entrepreneurial path.

Screwvala has also been an early investor in several startups, including Lenskart. He recalled that when he decided to invest, he insisted on consolidating the company’s other smaller ventures to ensure focus and scalability. His strategic mindset has often been cited as one of the reasons for his consistent financial success across industries.