What is the story about?
Vivek Oberoi has created history! From winning hearts with his stellar performances in Bollywood to building a massive business empire, he has done it all.
What makes his story unique is not just wealth or glamour, but a childhood lesson in independence. Guided by his father, veteran actor-politician Suresh Oberoi, Vivek chose self-reliance over shortcuts, eventually building an estimated Rs 1,200 crore fortune through hard work, sacrifice, and clear vision.
Early Entrepreneurial Lessons
In an interview with Fortune India, Vivek recalled,"Business is something that I've been doing for a long time. I think I have my father to thank for that. He got me involved very early at a young age in business... He would give me products — perfumes, electronics, apparel, shoes. And I would go on my cycle, fill up the product into my school bag and go door-to-door, knocking, selling." These early lessons instilled discipline, confidence, and a fearless attitude towards entrepreneurship.
Small Wins
According to the Dubai Property Insider podcast (as reported by Indian Express), Vivek began exploring opportunities as early as 15 - doing voiceovers, hosting shows, and learning stock market basics. By 16, he had built his own portfolio and even tested commodity trading. At 19, he raised 3 million dollar for his first startup and successfully sold it by the age of 23. Over time, he helped take nine companies public, with plans to add four more.
Balancing Bollywood and Business
Managing a thriving acting career while pursuing business wasn’t easy, but early success gave Vivek the confidence to juggle both worlds. From drafting plans as a boy to running large-scale ventures as an adult, he has grown into both a Bollywood star and a serious entrepreneur.
A Zero-Debt Success Story
In the same interview with Fortune India, Vivek explained how money management always came naturally to him. His flagship company, BNW Real Estate Developments, is now a major player in the UAE’s luxury property market.
He said,"The vision should be to create your own development company. That’s how we set up BNW Developments. We’re a zero-debt company. We’re doing 23 projects, all ultra-luxury. We've gone from a team of maybe 30–35 people to almost 400. We built a lot of capacity."
Education Venture Valued at Rs 3,400 Crore
Vivek also revealed that he runs a company focused on financing students’ education. Speaking on Franchise India’s YouTube channel, he shared, "I set up a start-up into education fee financing, non-collateralised. It became very big. We reached 12,000 schools, colleges, and universities through a B2B network. Then we connected directly to customers - 45 lakh students - which gave us rich data. That’s how the company was valued at almost 400 million dollar (around Rs 3,400 crore)."
Global Recognition
According to Forbes, Vivek Oberoi is the Chairman of Oberoi Family Office and Co-Founder of BNW Developments, overseeing 7 billion dollar worth of luxury real estate projects in the UAE. His investments span across education, finance, agriculture, media, and sustainability - blending profit with purpose.
He also made it to Forbes’ 40 Under 40 Heroes of Philanthropy list, making him one of the few Indian actors recognised internationally for both business success and social impact.
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