Celebrity Net Worth: Rohit Sharma invests in Indian education start-up
In our fortnightly celebrity investment and wealth round-up, Niall Horan becomes an investor and ambassador for Tiger Woods-backed golf league and Deepika Padukone’s personal care start-up plans to raise $5.9 million
The company also received funding from Qed Investors, Aavishkaar Capital and additional investors, it announced on LinkedIn.
Over the last three years, Leo1 has raised $35 million through two investment rounds.
The investment will be directed towards innovation, technology, expansion and steps to resolve pending cash flow issues in educational institutes, the company said.
“Their approach, unwavering commitment and entrepreneurial spirit are truly inspiring as they work to positively impact the lives of aspiring students and their parents.
“This partnership presents an incredible opportunity for me to back initiatives that can make a significant difference for an entire generation.”
Established in 2018 by Rohit Gajbhiye, Leo1 is committed to streamlining fee collection through a reward mechanism that gives students incentives to make advance fee payments, encouraging responsible financial behaviour.
The investment by Sharma “represents a significant step forward for Leo1 in its goal to resolve the long-pending cash flow issue in educational institutes along with providing innovative solutions for students across India”, the start-up said.
Sharma has a personal fortune estimated at $25 million, according to wealth-tracking platform Celebrity Net Worth.
He earns an annual salary of 70 million Indian rupees ($837,400) from India’s cricket board. Additionally, he receives match fees for international matches: 1.5 million rupees for every Test match, 600,000 rupees for every ODI match and 300,000 rupees for every T20 match, Celebrity Net Worth estimated.
He also earns 160 million rupees a season playing for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League tournament.
The cricketer has endorsement deals with brands such as adidas, Hublot and Jaguar, and is reported to charge 50 million rupees for every brand deal.
Artist Niall Horan is estimated to have a net worth of $70 million. Getty Images
Niall Horan
Singer-songwriter Niall Horan announced on June 19 that he has invested in a golf league backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
The former One Direction star said he is now an investor and ambassador for Boston Common Golf, one of six teams involved in the virtual TGL golf league, through his investment vehicle Greenbridge Ventures.
Boston Common Golf is owned by Fenway Sports Group and McIlroy’s investment firm Symphony Ventures.
Announcing the news on social media on June 19, Horan said: “Excited to announce I am an investor & ambassador for @commongolf! Boston is a very special place to me & I am excited to work with Fenway Sports, Rory, Keegan, Adam & the whole team on the Boston franchise.”
“Golf has been a lifelong passion of mine. Being able to combine my love for the game and my friendship with Rory into a relationship that helps launch a new concept in golf is truly special.”
TGL, a new tech-inspired golf league, was formed by sports executive Mike McCarley and professional golfers Woods and McIlroy in partnership with the PGA Tour.
Its first season is due to launch next year and will feature six teams, each comprising three PGA Tour players, competing on a virtual course.
Celebrity investors in TGL include Lewis Hamilton, Justin Timberlake, Steph Curry, Serena Williams and Shaquille O’Neill.
Horan, 30, has a net worth of $70 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
In 2015, Horan launched a sports agency focused on golf, Modest! Golf Management, with his business partner, Mark McDonnell. Their clients include Tyrrell Hatton, who has won six European Tour events and one on the PGA Tour.
Deepika Padukone's personal care start-up 82°E is planning to raise 500 million rupees ($5.9 million) from new and existing investors. Getty Images
Ka Enterprises, an investment entity owned by Padukone and her family, is set to participate in the funding round, along with other investors.
The new capital will be used for expansion and growth, the filings showed.
Founded in 2021 by Padukone and venture capitalist Jigar Shah, the Mumbai-based brand offers a range of skincare products for men and women.
The company last raised $7.5 million in a seed round led by DSG Consumer Partners and Ideo Ventures, along with Padukone’s family office, in December 2022.
Padukone, 38, and her family office own 59.6 per cent of the start-up’s shares, while her husband – actor Ranveer Singh – controls 5.32 per cent of the company, according to start-up data intelligence platform TheKredible.
The actress, one of the highest paid in India, has a personal fortune estimated at $40 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
In 2015, she started the Live Love Laugh Foundation to promote self-care through conscious living and being in tune with one's body and mental state.
Martha Stewart, 82, was once a billionaire but her net worth is now estimated at $400 million. AP
Martha Stewart
Businesswoman and TV star Martha Stewart purchased a duplex unit in an upscale apartment complex in the Upper West Side of Manhattan for $12.3 million last month, Celebrity Net Worth reported.
The apartment at The Belnord sits on the 11th and 12th floors and covers about 4,600 square feet, with six bedrooms and seven baths, according to the website.
Her primary residence remains the Westchester estate in New York that sprawls across 156 acres, which she bought for $15.2 million in 2002. Last year, she sold a West Village triplex for $31 million, the platform said.
Stewart, 82, was once a billionaire but her net worth is now estimated at $400 million.
She earned her net worth through a business conglomerate that, over the years, has included television shows, magazines, endorsements, home products and a media and merchandising company she launched called Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
The former Chanel model and stockbroker made her fortune by taking Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia public in 1999.
The initial public offering raised $1.9 billion, with the stock reaching a record high of $39.75 a share the following day, according to ABC News.
On the day her company went public, Stewart became the first self-made female billionaire in the US. She later sold the company for more than $350 million in 2015.
However, it was her venture into the catering business in the late 1970s that set the foundation for her future fame.
Stewart's first cookbook, Entertaining, published in 1982, was a bestseller. Television appearances followed, leading to her own show, Martha Stewart Living, which aired for more than a decade.
Her property portfolio is worth more than $100 million and she owns a number of homes across the US, Celebrity Net Worth estimated.
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.
It’s So Easy
Mr Brownstone
Chinese Democracy
Welcome to the Jungle
Double Talkin’ Jive
Better
Estranged
Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
Rocket Queen
You Could Be Mine
Shadow of Your Love
Attitude (Misfits cover)
Civil War
Coma
Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
Sweet Child O’ Mine
Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
