Anant Ambani and his wife-to-be Radhika Merchant enthralled guests at their pre-wedding celebrations with a dance performance in front of an adoring crowd.
Karlie Kloss, Ivanka Trump and Mark Zuckerberg were among the high-profile guests cheering on the doting couple.
VIPs flew to Jamnagar, Gujarat, in India, over the weekend to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of Ambani and Merchant, children of Asia’s two richest families.
The celebrations reportedly cost $152 million and began with a performance by Rihanna, who is said to have commanded a fee of $6 million and whose partner A$AP Rocky was seen mingling with guests.
They were in stark contrast to the nearby slums, just a stone’s throw away, where some of the world’s poorest work up to 17 hours for just $5 a day.
The video of Anant Ambani and his future wife Radhika Merchant’s opulent celebrations shows the happy couple dancing during the pre-wedding celebrations.
Karlie Kloss was among the high-profile guests at the three-day show in Jamnagar, India.
The supermodel wowed in an iridescent one-shoulder dress as she posed in front of fairground rides at the party.
Kloss showed off her slim physique in a chic blue dress with a matching scarf around her neck.
Kloss attended the party along with her husband Joshua Kushner and the couple were among the 1,000 people invited.
But inside the exclusive event, pictures show the happy couple dancing without a care in the world.
Attendees were given a nine-page dress code before the event. Among those who rose to the occasion was supermodel Kloss, who shared stunning snaps of two of her looks from the weekend.
In a post titled ‘Greetings Anant and Radhika’, Kloss showed off her slim physique in a stunning iridescent dress while posing in front of carnival rides and alongside Zuckerberg’s wife, Priscilla Chan.
Other photos show Kloss wearing a chic blue backless dress with a matching scarf draped elegantly around her neck.
Husband Joshua was also photographed wearing a traditional Indian male outfit.
The couple were among 1,000 guests at the Ambani family home for the three-day extravaganza.
Global technology CEOs, Bollywood stars, pop icons and politicians descended on the normally sleepy town of Jamnagar in western India.
The party was organized by billionaire tycoon Mukesh Ambani for his youngest son.
The spectacular festivities were attended by the likes of Ivanka Trump as a pre-wedding celebration for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant.
Ivanka called the celebrations “lovely” in an Instagram post showing off her stunning looks for the weekend.
Rihanna kicked off the festivities with a two-hour performance for which she was reportedly paid $6.3 million.
Rihanna’s rapper partner A$AP Rocky, pictured with Meezaan Jafri, attended the party.
Ivanka with her husband Jared Kushner and daughter Arabella at the lavish wedding party
Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan wore a luxurious Indian-style dress at the wedding party
Anant, 28, will marry Merchant, the daughter of wealthy pharmaceutical magnates, in July.
Their VIP guests included Ivanka and her family, as well as Bollywood legends Salman Khan Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif.
Ivanka shared stunning photos and videos from the celebrations, which included a spectacular fireworks and elephant show.
The former White House adviser attended with her husband Jared Kushner and daughter Arabella.
She dazzled in a variety of opulent outfits, showing off in Instagram posts where she called the festivities “lovely.”
Behind the celebrations was Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, a corporate giant dealing in everything from energy to textiles and telecommunications.
The company is worth $112 billion, according to Forbes, making it the 11th largest in the world.
Anant Ambani (right) with Radhika Merchant at the inauguration of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center in March 2023
Bill Gates and Paula Hurd pose during the pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani, son of Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, and Radhika Merchant, daughter of industrialist Viren Merchant.
The elites of the technological world were present at the party before the $152 million wedding
BlackRock Chairman and CEO Larry Fink arrives at pre-wedding party
Ambani isn’t a household name in America, but it should come as no surprise that some of America’s biggest players attended the family’s final party.
Zuckerberg’s Target invested $5.7 billion in Jia Platforms, the telecom arm of Reliance, in 2020.
The invitation for the pre-wedding celebrations, which has been widely circulated on social media, read: “With hearts full of joy and excitement, we invite you to Anant and Radhika’s pre-wedding celebrations at our home in Jamnagar.
“We look forward to having you with us to share our joy, love and laughter, and create memories we will cherish forever.”
Several stars from the world of sports were on the guest list, including former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his wife Sakshi Dhoni, Australian cricketer Tim David and his wife Stephanie Kershaw and former Indian cricket captain West Indies Dwayne Bravo.
Top businesspeople also attended, including Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock.
Guests were accommodated in purpose-built five-star facilities, with hundreds of staff on hand to serve them, with a series of penthouses and villas renovated for the occasion.
More than 100 chefs flew in to serve them and prepared 500 dishes over the three days, from traditional Indian food to Mexican, Chinese and European cuisine.
For many who lived nearby it was a sad story of poverty and deprivation a million miles from the opulence on their doorstep.
Jamnagar is normally a very quiet city and its slums are home to some of the poorest people in the world.
The city rarely sees such extravagant displays of wealth and some residents get by on as little as $5 a day.
But just a few feet away, some of the world’s poorest people eke out a living on as little as five dollars a day.
Usman Ali, 44, barely had time to look up as he stirred a large pot of boiling water as luxury cars roared by carrying Ambani’s high-profile guests to a large enclosed compound where they were staying.
He arrived at a ramshackle roadside stall, not far from its main entrance, to make tea, starting at 6am and finishing at 11pm, seven days a week, earning £4 a day.
Wiping sweat from his brow, he told MailOnline: “It’s a shame these rich and famous people don’t stop to try my tea.” I can promise you it’s way better than anything these fancy chefs make.
‘I’ve heard about this wedding party and how much is being spent. But I don’t understand the sums they talk about because for me it’s another world. I can’t even say $152 million let alone think about it.
He added: ‘I have worked at this tea stall since I was a child. Life is very hard for me and I don’t have time to worry too much about what Mr. Ambani does and how he spends his money.’