A Father’s Promise to His Son: 75% of His Wealth for Society

A father made a promise to his son — and chose to honor it, even amid personal tragedy. As part of that commitment, he has decided to donate 75% of his wealth to society. The amount involved is staggering: nearly Rs 25,000 crore. That father is Anil Agarwal, Chairman of the Vedanta Group, one of India’s leading conglomerates. A prominent industrialist and billionaire, Agarwal is among the country’s most influential business leaders.

Anil Agarwal is currently going through the darkest phase of his life. His son, Agnivesh (49), passed away in the United States on January 7. The sudden demise of Agnivesh has plunged the Agarwal family into deep grief. Even as he struggles to come to terms with this loss, Anil Agarwal announced that he would fulfill the promise he made to his son by donating more than 75% of his wealth to social causes.

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Anil Agarwal wrote that he was merely keeping the word he had given to his son. “This is the darkest day of my life. My son Agnivesh left us far too early. He was just 49, with many dreams for the future. He was injured in a skiing accident in the US, and while he was recovering in the hospital, we believed he would survive. We thought he had overcome the accident, but destiny had other plans. A sudden cardiac arrest took him away from us,” he wrote.

He added that losing a son before a father is an indescribable pain. “This loss has shaken us completely. Agnivesh was a sportsperson, a music lover, and a leader. Beyond all titles, he was humble and warm-hearted. He was not just my son — he was my friend, my pride, my world. This is an irreplaceable loss for our family. While the pain is unbearable, I find some solace in the thought that the thousands of young people working at the Vedanta Group are like my own children,” Agarwal said.

Recalling his son’s beliefs, Anil Agarwal said Agnivesh had immense faith in India’s potential to become self-reliant. “He believed India lacks nothing and should never lag behind. I had promised Agni that we would give back 75% of our income to society. Today, I reaffirm that promise even more strongly. I have also decided to live a simpler life,” he stated.

He further said that he and his son had made an important pledge together: no child should go to bed hungry, no one should be denied education, every woman should become self-reliant, and every youth should have meaningful employment.

According to Forbes estimates, the Anil Agarwal family’s net worth is around $4.2 billion (approximately Rs 35,000 crore). Of this, the majority — nearly Rs 25,000 crore — will be donated to social causes.

Anil Agarwal has two children — son Agnivesh and daughter Priya. Priya Agarwal is a board member of Vedanta Limited and serves as the Chairperson of Hindustan Zinc Limited. Agnivesh was the Chairman of Talwandi Sabo Power Limited, a Vedanta Group company.