Gautam Adani, India’s richest, and the world’s third richest person, has had close encounters with death, not once, but twice in life. The billionaire was once abducted by goons for ransom, but was released a day later. In another incident, he was dining at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai and clearing the bill when the terrorists attacked the establishment during the 26/11 attacks. In a news program recently, the Adani Group head talked about his brush with death twice, and said how he is thankful to god for escaping both times. “Forgetting about bad experiences is a good thing. When I was kidnapped, I was freed the very next day. I slept a sound sleep even when I was kidnapped since my safety was not in my hands. I believe that one shouldn’t dwell on things that are not in their hands. Things fall into place on their own,” he said in the show.
Gautam Adani‘s two close brushes with death
Gautam Adani was abducted at gunpoint for ransom
In 1988, Gautam Adani set up a commodities trading venture under Adani Exports, which became so successful that it started hitting the headlines of business papers in his home state. In 1998, kidnappers purportedly sought to take advantage of Adani’s riches by kidnapping him. The kidnappers held the billionaire and asked for a ransom, which at time was reported to be around $1.5-2 million. According to the charge sheet filed by police, on 1 January 1998, Adani and his companion Shantilal Patel were abducted at gunpoint after they left Karnavati Club here in a car and headed for Mohammadpura Road.
It was alleged that a scooter forced the car to stop, and then a group of men came in a van and abducted both of them. They were taken to an unknown place in a car before being released, the charge sheet said. Adani has been shy about speaking publicly in detail about the terrifying incident. Earlier, when asked about the incident by London’s Financial Times, Adani only said, “Two or three very unfortunate incidents happened in my life, that is one of them”.
When Gautam Adani stared at death just 15 feet away on 26/11
Gautam Adani’s second encounter with death was in 2008 when terrorists launched one of the most deadly attacks in Mumbai. On 26 November 2008, Adani was having dinner at Mumbai’s iconic Taj hotel when it was attacked by terrorists. Recalling the incident, Adani told India TV’s Aap Ki Adalat that he was holding a business meeting with his Dubai-based friends at the Hotel Taj when he came to know that the building was under attack. Adani revealed he even saw the terrorists who entered the hotel.
“I had completed a meeting with my friends who came here (Mumbai) from Dubai. After paying the bills, I was about to exit the hotel, when some of my friends asked me to hold another round of meetings. I chose to stay in the restaurant where we had completed the dinner. Later, we started the meeting with a cup of coffee. Then, I learned that the hotel was under attack. After a few minutes, the hotel staff took me to the kitchen using a back door,” Adani said on the show. The billionaire shared, “At times, I think if I had moved to the lobby after paying the bill, I might have got stuck in the attack.” In the TV interview, he appreciated the staff of the Taj Hotel present with them that day, saying that the type of dedication that Taj staff showed at the time of that attack is rarely seen in organisations.
The billionaire was quoted in an old report saying, “We were over 100 and everybody was praying for their life. Some had hidden below the sofa while others had taken similar evasive positions. Sitting on a Sofa, I was telling them to have faith in God. Simultaneously I was also talking to my distressed family in Ahmedabad and my driver and commando who was in my car outside the hotel “. Adani said on the TV show. Adani had earlier said, “I saw death at a distance of just 15 feet”. According to Adani, these two near-death experiences in his life helped him a lot when it comes to living his life to the fullest and valuing his loved ones.