Sun TV Network Chairman and Managing Director, Kalanithi Maran is making headlines after he got served with a legal notice by his brother, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran. Amid the growing family feud, there’s a lot of speculation around the Marans’ earnings. Not many know this but, Kalanithi Maran and his wife Kavery Maran, together reportedly have an annual income of Rs 175 crore.
What is Kalanithi Maran’s net-worth?
Kalanithi is worth more than Rs 30,000 crore which fell by 3.11% on Friday, as per a Forbes real-time net-worth report. Combined, his wife, Kavery Maran and Kalanithi received an annual remuneration of over Rs 175 crore.
The large scale media proprietor oversees 37 channels which reach 140 million households in India. The Forbes Riches Indians list in 2024 ranked him at 83. According to Forbes real time net-worth, Kalanithi Maran was placed at 1,357 globally and earlies this year, he was worth $2.7 billion.
Kavery and Kalanithi Maran: The billionaire duo
Kavery Maran is Kalantihi’s wife and the Executive Director at SUN TV Network. According to media reports , the couple earned nearly Rs 88 crore annually from FY2018 to FY2023. Another report suggests that they earned a fixed salary of Rs 13.87 crore and took home Rs 73.63 crore as bonus.
Following the SUN TV legal battle, the network’s share price fell by 4% after the family dispute reached the courts. The shares were trading down over 4% at Rs 588 a share on the BSE, while it was down over 4% and trading at Rs 586.40 a share on the NSE, on Friday’s morning trade.
Kalanithi vs Dayanidhi: SUN TV legal battle
Kalanithi’s wealth primarily stems from his vast media empire, including television, radio, and film production, alongside his foray into sports ownership. Son of Murasoli Maran, the media giant started SUN TV in 1993. A new addition to the team was Sun Neo, a Hindi general entertainment channel, launched in 2024.
Dayanidhi Maran has served a legal notice to his brother Kalanithi Maran, accusing him of fraudulently taking control of Sun TV while their father was battling a terminal illness. The notice alleges that Kalanithi, along with seven others, including his wife Kavery, was involved in illegal share allotments, forged documents, and corporate misgovernance. It claims Kalanithi allotted himself Rs 12 lakh in equity, exceeding the Rs 10 lakh limit, without board approval. The notice also questions the legitimacy of Sun TV’s IPO and alleges that fraudulent transactions were used to fund investments in other ventures.