The chairman and creator of the Sun Group is the Indian media tycoon Kalanithi Maran. He is the owner of several media outlets, including television networks, newspapers, weeklies, FM radio stations, DTH services, a cricket team (Sunrisers Hyderabad), and a production company for films. From 2010 until 2015, he also owned a sizable portion of the Indian airline Spice Jet.
Maran launched Poomaalai, a monthly magazine in Tamil, in 1990. On April 14, 1993, he established Sun TV. On 24 April 2006, Sun TV raised $133 million for 10% of the share capital and debuted on the Bombay Stock Exchange, propelling him into the list of billionaires. He was one of the few participants in a roundtable discussion with visiting US President Bill Clinton at the time.
He was the highest paid business executive in India in 2023 and the 77th richest Indian with a net worth of US$3 billion. Maran and his wife Kavery received a payout worth 62 crore (US$7.8 million) each, making them the highest paid business leaders in the list of Indian executive pay charts.
Personal Life & More
Kalanithi Maran is the grandson of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi and the son of former Indian Union Minister Murasoli Maran. Dayanidhi Maran, his younger brother, was also a previous minister. Kaviya Kalanithi Maran, who was born on August 6, 1992, is the daughter of Kodagu native Kavery and Kalanithi Maran. He attended Don Bosco, Egmore, Chennai, for his education. From Chennai's Loyola College, he received a commerce degree. He received his MBA from Scranton University. His net worth as of 2023 is $3 billion.