India’s richest tech billionaire has given away more money than what he has right now

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India’s richest tech billionaire has given away more money than what he has right now
Azim Premji, chairman of Wipro Limited, is India's richest tech billionaireBCCL
  • Indian IT industry’s czar, Azim Premji, is the richest tech billionaire in the country worth $16.5 billion.
  • In the past, Premji has stated that being rich does not ‘thrill him.’
  • Currently, his donations to charity are greater than his net worth at $21 billion.
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Wipro’s Azim Premji — the czar of the Indian IT industry — didn’t top the IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich list for this year but he’s still the richest tech billionaire.

The only two people richer than him are Mukesh Ambani and the Hinduja family. He’s also the only tech billionaire in the top ten of the list.

But, that’s not what sets him apart.

Premji’s total contribution to philanthropy currently stands at ₹148,925 crore ($21 billion).

That’s greater 30% greater than his current net worth of ₹117,100 crore ($16.5 billion), according to the report by Hurun Report India and IIFL Wealth Management.

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There’s no ‘thrill’ to being rich

Premji has appeared among the ‘100 Most Influential People’ by TIME Magazine twice — in 2004 and again in 2011.

In 2013, he agreed to give away half of his wealth when he signed the The Giving Pledge — an initiative led by two of the richest men in the world, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates.

He was the first Indian to sign up for the campaign stating that being rich ‘did not thrill him’.

Earlier this year, Premji set aside 34% of Wipro’s shares for his charity — the Azim Premji Foundation. Adding up earlier donations, 67% of Premji’s shares are now earmarked for the charity.

The Azim Premji Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that has been working towards improving the elementary education system in rural government schools since 2000.
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See also:
Gautam Adani's wealth multiplied nearly 3 times in the last four years

Mukesh Ambani is richer than the Hindujas and Azim Premji put together

Azim Premji has now set aside $21 billion to charity, 67% of economic ownership of Wipro



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