Among the world’s billionaires, there are some familiar names such as Warren Buffett and Jeff Bezos.
However, one name might not be as recognizable, and there’s a good reason for that.
An Indian business mogul, who is the driving force behind Land Rover, Jaguar, Air India, and some of the largest philanthropic donations, has given away 65 percent of his wealth, which keeps his name off the world’s rich lists that include figures like Elon Musk.
Business magnate and philanthropist Ratan Tata is renowned for his outstanding business acumen, leading the Tata Group to amass a substantial net worth of $365 billion.
Tata served as the Chairman of the Tata Group from 1990 to 2012 and is currently the Chairman of the Council of Management of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
He was once offered a high-profile position at IBM, which he reportedly declined in order to concentrate on expanding the Tata Group.
Despite his enormous wealth, Tata does not seek the spotlight on rich lists, nor does he display his wealth extravagantly or acquire expensive assets.
In fact, he and his family members donate a large portion of their fortune, with Tata himself contributing $100 billion to various causes.
To date, the Tata charities have donated over $102 billion to healthcare, education, the arts, culture, and other charitable organizations throughout India.
By giving away 65 percent of his income, Tata has ensured that he remains off the top billionaire lists, both by aiding worthy causes and by appearing to ‘earn less’ than others on these lists.
This strategy allows Tata to appear with a lower income than many others, who are earning upwards of $250 billion, while he continues to focus on his business empire and support education, technology, the arts, culture, and charities in India.
Entrepreneur Chinnakannan Sivasankaran once praised Tata in an interview, stating: “What is so special about Ratan Tata is his selflessness and patriotism. He is a very balanced person, always focused on excellence and the good of the country, unlike me, who is always after money.
“For him, money is just a byproduct. His objective was always about what he could do for the country, even if it took 20 years.
“He was planting seeds for the future, like a banana tree. I don’t have that kind of mentality.”