Gautam Adani's Net Worth Declines by USD 11.9 Billion In 2025; Musk Tops Billionaire Losses

Indian billionaire and Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani has seen his net worth shrink by USD 11.9 billion this year, bringing his total wealth down to USD 66.8 billion as per the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. This makes him the second-largest wealth loser in 2025, after Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose fortune has dropped by USD 35.2 billion, now standing at USD 397.3 billion

Legal Troubles Weigh on Adani Group's Stock and Wealth

The primary reason behind Adani's wealth decline is the ongoing legal scrutiny surrounding his conglomerate. Recent reports indicate that U.S. prosecutors have accused Adani and top executives of Adani Green Energy of orchestrating a multibillion-dollar fraud scheme. According to allegations, between 2020 and 2024, Adani and his associates allegedly paid over $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials to secure solar energy contracts, resulting in $2 billion in profits.

Furthermore, Adani Green Energy is also accused of raising over $3 billion in loans and bonds by issuing false and misleading statements. However, the Adani Group has strongly denied these allegations, calling them "baseless" and affirming that they will take all possible legal actions to counter the claims.

Stock Market Impact On Adani Group Stocks

The ongoing legal battle has significantly impacted Adani Group's stock performance. The stock slump has been a major contributing factor to Adani's declining wealth. Several key Adani stocks have tumbled this year:
The Adani Enterprises shares are down 16.8% so far this year. Similarly, Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone shares have declined about 11.22%. Adani Power stocks are down 9.52%. Adani Green Energy stocks dipped by 19.25% in 2025.

Other Indian Billionaires Also Face Setbacks

While Gautam Adani's wealth decline is mainly due to legal controversies and regulatory issues, other billionaires also faced setbacks in their net worths, which included the world's richest man, Elon Musk, who also lost substantial wealth this year due to Tesla's stock fluctuations. Despite losing USD 47 billion in 2025 alone, Musk still retains the title of the world's richest person, with an estimated net worth of USD 385 billion.

Musk's wealth has seen substantial gains in recent years, mainly due to the soaring valuations of Tesla, SpaceX, and his other ventures. Additionally, he was recently appointed as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, which has also increased his influence in the market.

Apart from Adani and Musk, other major Indian billionaires have also witnessed financial setbacks in 2025, albeit on a smaller scale.

Mukesh Ambani from Reliance Industries also saw his net worth drop by USD 3.36 billion, bringing it down to USD 87.3 billion as of 22nd February. This decline can be mainly due to the fluctuations in the energy, telecom, and retail sectors, where Reliance Industries has a strong presence.

Shiv Nadar (HCLTech): The Indian IT giant's founder has seen his fortune shrink by USD 4.53 billion, reducing his total wealth to USD 38.6 billion. The drop in global technology spending has impacted HCLTech's valuation, which greatly affected Nadar's wealth.

Shapoor Mistry, who heads the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, falls to 48 on the list. The billionaire saw his net worth decline by 2.1 billion dollars, which currently stands at USD 35.8 billion.