Gautam Shantilal Adani (born 24 June 1962) is an Indian billionaire industrialist who is the founder and chairman of the Adani Group, a multinational conglomerate involved in port development and operations in India. He started as a diamond sorter and commodity trader before building an infrastructure empire spanning ports, airports, power generation, mining, and green energy. Adani is known for his rapid ascent and alignment with India's national development goals. He briefly became the second-richest person in the world in 2022. However, his empire faced a massive crisis in 2023 following a report by short-seller Hindenburg Research alleging stock manipulation and fraud.