Amit Bhatia
Encyclopedia
Amit Bhatia, a businessman and philanthropist
, was born in London
in 1979, to Arun and Renu Bhatia. He has an older brother (Aneesh) and a younger sister (Ayesha). He is fluent in Hindi, English and Spanish.
Bhatia is married to Vanisha Mittal
, the only daughter of steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal
. The couple were married in June 2004 with five days of celebrations and events staged at the Palace of Versailles
and Vaux-le-Vicomte
, France.
Bhatia was educated in Delhi at Columba's School until 1995, and then at Dulwich College
, United Kingdom, in 1996, and at the British School in Delhi in 1997.
Bhatia is an alumnus of Cornell University
in Ithaca, New York, in the United States where he studied Economics and Investment Management. After graduating, he took up posts in Mergers & Acquisitions at Morgan Stanley in New York and Credit Suisse First Boston in London, England.
Subsequently he incubated Swordfish Investments (a private equity fund) in 2005 and Swordfish Capital Management (a hedge fund) in 2006, both of which he owns and manages.
Additionally, Bhatia is involved in a number of private businesses including those in the areas of education, media, telecoms and real estate.
Bhatia joined the Board of Directors at Queens Park Rangers Football Club Queen's Park Rangers in London, as Vice Chairman when the Mittal family acquired a minority stake in December 2007, co-running the club with Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone.
He took part in a triathlon in the summer of 2009 to raise funds for the QPR in the Community Trust charity, raising some £32,000 himself.
However in May 2011, just weeks after QPR secured promotion to the Premier League, Bhatia resigned as vice-chairman of the club after a disagreement with the board on a number of issues, including over the rise in ticket prices. He returned to the position after Tony Fernandes
took control of the club in August 2011
In 2007, Bhatia also initiated the Mittal Champions Trust
, which sponsors Indian sportsmen with world-class potential, one of whom, Abhinav Bindra
, exceeded all expectations to achieve a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics just one year later in 2008.
In 2011, Bhatia donated money to the Cornell University Library System to support its café space in the first floor of The John M. Olin Library. The café was renamed that same year to "Amit Bhatia Libe Café;" it had formerly been known as just "Libe Café".
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1979, to Arun and Renu Bhatia. He has an older brother (Aneesh) and a younger sister (Ayesha). He is fluent in Hindi, English and Spanish.
Bhatia is married to Vanisha Mittal
Vanisha Mittal
Vanisha Mittal Bhatia, is the daughter of steel magnate Lakshmi N. Mittal. In 2007, the magazine Forbes listed her at the number one position in the listing of daughters of the world's richest individuals. In 2004, she married Amit Bhatia, an investment banker, in one of the most expensive...
, the only daughter of steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal
Lakshmi Mittal
Lakshmi Narayan Mittal is an Indian steel magnate. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaking company....
. The couple were married in June 2004 with five days of celebrations and events staged at the Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
and Vaux-le-Vicomte
Vaux-le-Vicomte
The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte is a baroque French château located in Maincy, near Melun, 55 km southeast of Paris in the Seine-et-Marne département of France...
, France.
Bhatia was educated in Delhi at Columba's School until 1995, and then at Dulwich College
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
, United Kingdom, in 1996, and at the British School in Delhi in 1997.
Bhatia is an alumnus of Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in Ithaca, New York, in the United States where he studied Economics and Investment Management. After graduating, he took up posts in Mergers & Acquisitions at Morgan Stanley in New York and Credit Suisse First Boston in London, England.
Subsequently he incubated Swordfish Investments (a private equity fund) in 2005 and Swordfish Capital Management (a hedge fund) in 2006, both of which he owns and manages.
Additionally, Bhatia is involved in a number of private businesses including those in the areas of education, media, telecoms and real estate.
Bhatia joined the Board of Directors at Queens Park Rangers Football Club Queen's Park Rangers in London, as Vice Chairman when the Mittal family acquired a minority stake in December 2007, co-running the club with Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone.
He took part in a triathlon in the summer of 2009 to raise funds for the QPR in the Community Trust charity, raising some £32,000 himself.
However in May 2011, just weeks after QPR secured promotion to the Premier League, Bhatia resigned as vice-chairman of the club after a disagreement with the board on a number of issues, including over the rise in ticket prices. He returned to the position after Tony Fernandes
Tony Fernandes
Tan Sri Anthony Francis Fernandes CBE is a Malaysian entrepreneur and the founder of Tune Air Sdn. Bhd., who introduced the first budget no-frills airline, AirAsia, to Malaysians with the tagline "Now everyone can fly"...
took control of the club in August 2011
In 2007, Bhatia also initiated the Mittal Champions Trust
Mittal Champions Trust
Mittal Champions Trust supports Indian athletes with world-beating potential. It is funded by Lakshmi Mittal and was initiated by his son-in-law Amit Bhatia....
, which sponsors Indian sportsmen with world-class potential, one of whom, Abhinav Bindra
Abhinav Bindra
Abhinav Singh Bindra is an Indian shooter from Zirakpur, Mohali, Punjab and is the current World and Olympic champion in the 10 m Air Rifle event...
, exceeded all expectations to achieve a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics just one year later in 2008.
In 2011, Bhatia donated money to the Cornell University Library System to support its café space in the first floor of The John M. Olin Library. The café was renamed that same year to "Amit Bhatia Libe Café;" it had formerly been known as just "Libe Café".
External links
- "QPR chief outlines Hoops' dream", BBC Sports, 3 July 2008
- "Interview: 'QPR turned our heads away from glamour', says Amit Bhatia", Evening Standard, Mihir Bose, 02.03.10