Mumbai, April 3, 2025: Bollywood’s biggest superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan have suffered a huge financial setback, as entrepreneur and film producer Ronnie Screwvala has emerged as the only Indian entertainment figure to make it to Forbes’ World Billionaires List 2025.
The annual list, published yesterday, features 3,028 billionaires, with Screwvala’s net worth standing at $1.5 billion. This places him ahead of all three Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan: $770 million, Salman Khan: $390 million and Aamir Khan: $220 million.
Screwvala, who began his entrepreneurial journey in the 1970s manufacturing toothbrushes, later founded UTV in 1990, which became one of India’s most successful entertainment companies. UTV Motion Pictures has produced some of Bollywood’s most celebrated films, including Rang De Basanti, Jodhaa Akbar, Fashion, Swades, Delhi Belly and Barfi.
Besides films, UTV was also behind popular TV serials such as Hip Hip Hurray, Shararat, Shaka Laka Boom Boom, Khichdi, and Shanti.
In 2012, Screwvala sold his UTV stake to Walt Disney for over $450 million and briefly headed Disney India as Managing Director before moving on to new ventures. Currently, he is co-founder of upGrad, a major online education platform.
In a recent interview with Times of India, Screwvala shared how his background in theatre played a significant role in shaping his journey.
“Some people take up sports. I was fortunate to be drawn to theatre. It taught me everything—soft skills, collaboration, participation, and self-confidence,” he said.
Apart from his business empire, Screwvala and his wife Zarina run the Swades Foundation, a non-profit focused on rural development in India.
While Bollywood’s Khan triumvirate has long dominated the industry’s wealth rankings, Screwvala’s ascent marks a shift—highlighting the growing power of media entrepreneurs in India’s entertainment landscape.
