Rank #1069
Sunny Varkey
Net worth $4.0B
Education · India
- Born
- Apr 09, 1957
- Age
- 69
- Source
- Education
- Residence
- Dubai
- Citizenship
- India
- Marital status
- Married
- Children
- 2
- Education
Net worth over time
Biography
- Son of Indian expat teachers, who migrated to Dubai in 1959, Sunny Varkey controls GEMS Education, one of the world's largest operators of K-12 schools.
- The private education firm secured CVC Capital Partners as its key investor in 2019. CVC is selling a part of its stake.
- Sons Dino and Jay run GEMS as group CEO and deputy CEO, respectively.
- In June 2024 it got a $2 billion investment from a consortium led by New York-based Brookfield Asset Management. Other investors included Dubai financial services firm Gulf Islamic Investments, private equity outfit Marathon Asset Management and the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
- Varkey, who never went beyond high school himself, took over the management of his parents' Our Own English School in 1980 at age 23.
- GEMS has instituted three awards to recognize outstanding teachers, including one named after Varkey's mother.