The Hindu : Salman Rushdie in millionaires club

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 29, 2004

International

International - India & World

Salman Rushdie in millionaires club

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, MARCH 28. Salman Rushdie has become the first British Asian writer to join the Asian millionaires club with a personal wealth estimated at £7.6 million.

Mr. Rushdie, who put Indian writing in English on the world literary map with Midnight's Children, is now in the same league as the Asian business tycoons in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Rushdie, who divides his time between New York and London, has emerged as the richest creative Asian leaving behind actor Ben Kingsley, who played the title role in Richard Attenborough's film, Gandhi, and film director Gurinder Chadha, whose wealth shot up to £4.3 million after the international success of Bend It Like Beckham.

The Rich List of Asian expatriates, comprising 300 millionaires, is dominated by businessmen with the steel magnate, Lakshmi Mittal, at the top with assets worth £3.5 billion.

Avtar Lit, whose Sunrise Radio compiled the list, said: "We think the list is an important yardstick for measuring the Asian community in the U.K. The Asian communities have been here for 40 years now. They have moved away from working in foundries and factories into business and the mainstream of national life.

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