Journey of the Metal King: Anil Agarwal

Anil Agarwal is known as the founder and chairman of Vedanta Resources Limited. From his career as a businessman, he has received many awards and honours. He is also known as Metal King, named for building a diversified mining and metals empire from humble beginnings. Read the blog to get detailed information.

Introduction

Journey of Anil Agarwal

Anil was born in a Marwari family. He is the son of Dwarka Prasad Agarwal, who was a small business owner dealing with aluminium conductors. Anil spent his early life helping his father in their family business. He went to Mumbai at the age of 19 to seek opportunities and began his career journey in the 1970s. He started as a scrap metal collector for cable companies in the states and sold it in the city. Later, she started Sterlite Industries in 1986 to produce jelly-filled cables when the prices of raw materials such as copper rose.

Anil then created India’s first own-operated copper smelter and refinery in 1993 and later grabbed the disinvestment opportunities to acquire major shares. At the end of 2003, he incorporated Vedanta Resources Plc, the parent of the group, on the London Stock Exchange and went around the world with big takeovers. Some of them include Konkola Copper Mine, Zambia, in 2004, Sesa Goa, in 2007, Anglo American zinc holdings in 2010, and Cairn India in 2011. This is how he has framed his successful career journey till now, and will continue to do so in the coming years.

Anil Agarwal’s Salary and Assets

According to Forbes, it is known that as of now, he has a net worth of around $3.2 billion. He earns this from his hard work and dedication. Anil’s primary source of income is his company, Vedanta Resources. Having a good amount of salary shows that he has invested in his assets. He always loves to keep his life private. 

Some of his assets include his real estate and cars. He owns a luxurious property in London. Also, his son Agnivesh Agarwal had a good collection of cars, including a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Bentley Flying Spur, Range Rover Autobiography, and vintage Mercedes models.

Anil Agarwal’s Achievements

He has received many awards and honours throughout his career. Some of them include:

Shocking Incident of Anil Agarwal’s Life

The hardest incident of his life occurred on 7 January 2026, when his son had a sudden heart attack and was found dead. His son Agnivesh Agarwal was 49 years of age. He was recovering from a skiing accident at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. And suddenly suffered a fatal cardiac arrest despite appearing healthy. 

Anil Agarwal, in one of his social media posts, says, “The darkest day of my life, my beloved son, Agnivesh, left us far too soon. He was just 49 years old, healthy, full of life, and dreams. Following a skiing accident in the US, he was recovering well in Mount Sinai Hospital, New York. We believed the worst was behind us. But fate had other plans, and a sudden cardiac arrest snatched our son away from us.”

Anil’s Controversy

One of the controversies that he has faced in 2025 is a case that was filed by a US-based short seller, Viceroy Research. The Vedanta Group, led by Anil Agarwal, has been accused of governance failures. As Hindustan Zinc Ltd has signed a brand fee agreement without the Government of India’s consent, this violates their shareholder contract. The CEO of HZL denied the allegations, saying the board approved and the case was undergoing legal scrutiny. 

Final Thoughts

The story of Anil shows how he has made his life successful, just to achieve his dreams and goals. He’s a billionaire, with a net worth of $3.2 billion, even during the highs and lows in the market. However, recent Viceroy Research claims highlight governance ties to the unapproved crore brand fee transaction at Hindustan Zinc, with the danger of government intervention and investor confidence. He has made open reforms and found his way to survive the debt and scandals.

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