How Vivek Oberoi battled career setbacks, ‘boycott’ to build ₹1200-crore empire; became richer than Ranbir, Allu Arjun

Last week, actor Vivek Oberoi was in the news as he bought a swanky new Rolls Royce Cullinan. Priced at around ₹12 crore, it is one of the costliest cars in the world. Vivek isn’t the first person in Bollywood to buy a Rolls Royce, but most of the others who own this car are among the biggest superstars of their generation.

Vivek’s film career has not been as successful in comparison. This led many to wonder how Vivek could afford the vehicle. What they probably didn’t know is that over the last two decades, the actor has carefully built a business empire that would be the envy of most Indian entrepreneurs.

How Vivek Oberoi battled a ‘derailed’ career

The next big thing is how Vivek Oberoi had been described when he made his foray into Bollywood with Company in 2002. Hits like Saathiya, Masti, and Omkaara followed, and it was all but assumed that this youngster would go on to rule Bollywood. But then his personal life spilt over into his professional. His relationship with Aishwarya Rai led to that infamous spat with Salman Khan. Over time, Vivek’s films stopped working at the box office. The new films he got were not in the same league. There were whispers that he had been ‘boycotted’ from the industry for going against a superstar. But Vivek continued working, appearing in Telugu and Malayalam films like Rakta Charithra and Lucifer, as well as web series such as Inside Edge.

However, many felt that despite his second coming on OTT, Vivek’s career had not quite gotten back on track after that ‘derailment’ two decades ago. Not that it has bothered the actor.

Vivek Oberoi’s astonishing ₹1200 crore net worth

Many may be surprised to learn that Vivek Oberoi is among the richest actors in India despite all this. However, multiple reports, including The Statesman, have listed his net worth as ₹1200 crore. This would make him among the top 15, if not the top 10 richest actors in the country. In fact, his wealth exceeds that of more ‘successful’ contemporaries like Ranbir Kapoor ( ₹350 crore), Allu Arjun ( ₹340 crore), Prabhas ( ₹250 crore), and even superstars like Rajinikanth ( ₹400 crore).

How Vivek Oberoi built his empire

The actor has been open about building his financial independence outside the world of cinema. That is why he began investing in businesses right when he started as an actor. The bulk of his wealth comes from two sources – a real estate company called Karma Infrastructure and an event management company called Mega Entertainment. Vivek is also the founder of Aqua Arc, a 2,300-crore project on Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah, and the co-founder of Svarnim University. In addition, he is also an angel investor in several startups. All this put together has helped Vivek build a more-than-impressive wealth portfolio.

The actor agrees that his business has helped him continue acting. In a recent interview with PTI, he said, “Acting is my passion, and business is the enabler. It has got me to a point where I can pursue my passion purely. There’s no compulsion to do something that I’m not enjoying, bow to a lobby, or do any of that. It has given me that freedom. That’s why I keep telling people to build their economic independence, to build themselves to a position that allows them to achieve their dreams and their children’s dreams. Money can buy you your freedom; it can create a sense of peace and security.”

Vivek was last seen in Rohit Shetty’s Cop Universe web series Indian Police Force, which is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. His last film role was in the 2022 Telugu film Khudiram Bose.