WASHINGTON, Jan 19: Business magnate Mukesh Ambani and his spouse Nita are set to attend the second inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump. This event is expected to draw a crowd of influential American billionaires, politicians, foreign leaders, and celebrities.
Arriving in Washington on January 18, the Ambanis were among a select group of 100 individuals who participated in an exclusive ‘candlelit dinner’ with Trump the previous evening, according to sources familiar with the situation.
They may have been the only Indian attendees at this dinner, which also featured Vice President-elect JD Vance and Usha Vance.
The couple received a personal invitation from the Trump family to attend the inauguration on January 20, as stated by sources.
An inquiry sent to Reliance Industries Ltd, the corporation headed by Mukesh Ambani, has yet to receive a response.
The Ambani family has established a strong rapport with the Trump family over the years.
In 2017, Ambani was present during Ivanka Trump’s visit to Hyderabad for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, where she served as an advisor to her father, President Trump.
He also met Trump during his visit to India as President in February 2020.
Additionally, Ivanka, her husband Jared Kushner, and their daughter Arabella Rose were attendees at the lavish pre-wedding festivities for Ambani’s youngest son Anant and his fiancée Radhika Merchant that took place in Jamnagar, Gujarat, in March 2024.
During these celebrations, the family donned traditional Indian attire and shared several moments on Instagram, including Ivanka’s posts showcasing her stunning outfits and the magical atmosphere of the festivities.
Sources indicate that the Ambanis’ attendance at Trump’s inauguration serves as a gesture of reciprocity for the earlier visit.
While many affluent contributors have pledged up to USD 1 million to Trump’s inauguration committee for VIP access, the Ambanis have been granted a special invitation directly from the Trump family, according to reports.
Trump’s upcoming inauguration is expected to be a star-studded affair, with confirmed guests including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton.
Among the attendees will also be some of the world’s wealthiest individuals, such as tech entrepreneurs and vocal Trump supporters Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, and Mark Zuckerberg.
Other prominent figures from the tech sector anticipated at the event include OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.
Altman, Cook, Khosrowshahi, and their respective companies—Meta, Amazon, Google, and Uber—have reportedly each contributed at least USD 1 million to the inaugural fund, reflecting their significant interests in the upcoming administration’s potential policy changes related to taxes, trade, and antitrust enforcement. (PTI)
