Billionaires Dr BR Shetty and Dr Shamsheer Vayalil have signed up with Bill Gates’ The Giving Pledge.
It’s no secret that many of the wealthiest people in the world reside right here in Dubai. And in a little boost to our over-ambitious (if not fanciful) egos, it’s good to know that a number of those individuals are self-made billionaires who’ve started out from scratch.
According to the Hurun Gulf Self-Made Billionaires 2018 report released last month, there are 22 self-made billionaires in Dubai. While Majid Al Futtaim leads the pack with a net worth of $11 billion, the one other name that stood out on the list was NMC Health founder Dr BR Shetty.
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Shetty’s wealth rose 125 per cent from last year to $3.6 billion, thanks to an 88 per cent increase in the UK listed price of NMC Healthcare.
Apart from seeing his wealth more than double within the year, Shetty is also turning into quite the philanthropist. He is one among the 14 people who have recently signed up to the Warren Buffet and Bill Gates-initiated The Giving Pledge. That means he’s committed to giving away half his fortune over his lifetime.
“It is a crime when you are able to help others and choose not to,” Shetty said in his Giving Pledge letter, according to The National.
There are now 183 signatories to the pledge spread across 22 countries.
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Some of the world’s wealthiest, including Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Saudi Arabia’s HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al Saud have also made the pledge.
Among the most recent 14 to sign up to the pledge is another healthcare entrepreneur and self-made billionaire, VPS Healthcare founder, Dr Shamsheer Vayali with a speculated net worth of $1.7 billion.
In his pledge letter, he said, “We have always believed that doing good is good business too. In a small way, this is our way of giving thanks for the opportunities and successes we have found throughout our lives.”
Sounds about right to us.
Images: Twitter
