Today, it remains a mystery when, or rather if, Rihanna will release her ninth studio album. Although it’s been nearly a decade since she released a new music project, the Bajan superstar came back from being MIA in music to attend a star-studded event.
On March 1, Rihanna performed at a pre-wedding party for Anant Ambani, the son of multi-billionaire Mukesh Ambani, and Radhika Merchant in Jamnagar, India — marking her first full show in a while, per Billboard.
“The show was the best,” Rihanna shared following her performance, according to the outlet. “I haven’t done a real show in eight years.”
What’s more, Rihanna’s gig reportedly earned her a check of about $6.3 million, according to Forbes. A private show that brings Rihanna to a stage outside of her Super Bowl 2023 halftime performance is a bill that may only be footed by a public figure with wealth — in this case, Mukesh Ambani, who also paid for Beyoncé to perform at his daughter Isha Ambani’s pre-wedding celebration, per Billboard.
Forbes reports that Ambani is worth a reported $117.8 billion, making him not only the richest man in India but also the ninth-richest person in the world in 2023. The multi-billionaire businessman’s net worth is attributed to being the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Limited, a petroleum refining company — founded by his late father Dhirubhai Ambani — that is the largest private sector corporation in India. The conglomerate has extended businesses in energy, petrochemicals, retail, telecom, and financial services. Starting in 1977, Ambani has served on the board of Reliance after becoming a chemical engineer, per the company’s website.
In April 2023, Reliance stepped further into the beauty industry with the announcement of Tira, its beauty retail platform, reports Reuters. Then, in November 2023, Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd and the Tata Group reportedly took over Sephora’s 26 stores in India from Arvind Fashions.
“The partnership gives RRVL (Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd) exclusive rights to build and enhance Sephora’s presence in India across channels,” Reliance Retail shared in a statement about the $11.89 million (990.2 million-rupee) deal, according to Reuters.
Similar to Ambani, Rihanna shares her own connection with Sephora. Back in September 2017, Fenty Beauty launched exclusively with the beauty retail giant, as previously reported by AFROTECH™. Rihanna’s cosmetics line has gone on to massively expand and create her beauty empire, which has played a significant factor in her becoming a billionaire.
As Fenty Beauty continues to make its mark as a global beauty brand, there has been speculation online that Rihanna’s performance at Anant and Radhika’s pre-wedding event could lead to the businesswoman tapping into India’s growing beauty market.
Fenty Beauty is not available in India yet, but the Ambani’s are about to acquire the rights for Sephora India. My girl Rihanna is not performing at their wedding for leisure, she’s going there for business 😭😭. She’s always working. pic.twitter.com/QCaGvpPTf7
— 🕊️ Jay Jay (@holynoapostle) March 1, 2024
However, there hasn’t been an official report on whether there is a connection between Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and Reliance Retail Ventures.
