Son of Asia’s richest man to marry in extravagant wedding

MUMBAI

Global celebrities, business tycoons and politicians began arriving in India’s financial capital on July 12 to attend the wedding of the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s richest man, highlighting the billionaire's staggering wealth and rising clout.

Anant Ambani, 29, is marrying his longtime girlfriend, Radhika Merchant, in what many have dubbed the wedding of the year. The celebrations are taking place at the Ambani-owned Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai and their family home and are the culmination of months of wedding events that featured performances by pop stars including Rihanna and Justin Bieber.

The four-day wedding celebrations began with a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony on July 12, and is followed by a grand reception that will run through the weekend. The guest list includes former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, Saudi Aramco CEO Amin H. Nasser, Adele, Lana Del Rey, Drake and David Beckham, according to local media. The Ambani family has not confirmed the guest list.

Television news channels showed celebrities like Kim Kardashian and professional wrestler and Hollywood actor John Cena arriving.

Police have imposed traffic diversions around the wedding venue from Friday to Monday to handle the influx of guests who will be flying into Mumbai, where heavy monsoon rains have caused flooding and flight disruptions for the past week.