Gopichand Hinduja, the patriarch of Britain’s richest family, has passed away at the age of 85. Known affectionately as GP, Mr. Hinduja was a pivotal figure in transforming his father’s modest textile and trading enterprises into the Hinduja Group, a global conglomerate operating across 11 sectors, including finance, media, entertainment, and oil. The group employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. The Hinduja family, in a heartfelt statement, expressed that his passing “will leave a deep hole at the heart of our family,” and highlighted his “formidable work” as his enduring legacy. Mr. Hinduja and his family recently topped the Sunday Times Rich List with a staggering net worth of £35.3 billion and ranked 11th on Forbes’ list of India’s 100 richest businesspeople in 2024. He was the second eldest of four brothers who collectively steered the conglomerate for decades. His eldest brother, Srichand, passed away in 2023 at the age of 87. The leadership succession of the conglomerate remains uncertain, with the youngest brother, Ashok, currently overseeing operations in India, including the renowned truck manufacturer Ashok Leyland. The Hinduja family also boasts significant real estate holdings in London, including properties near St. James’s Park and the recently refurbished Old War Office in Whitehall, now housing a luxury hotel. Despite his low public profile, Mr. Hinduja was embroiled in the controversial “Hinduja affair” in 2001, which led to the resignation of Lord Peter Mandelson as an MP. The controversy arose after Mr. Hinduja wrote to Mr. Mandelson regarding his brother Prakash’s British citizenship application, following a £1 million donation by the family’s charity to the Millennium Dome project, overseen by Mr. Mandelson. Although Mr. Mandelson was later exonerated, the incident remains a notable chapter in Mr. Hinduja’s life. In a separate legal matter, Prakash Hinduja, his wife, and their son were convicted by a Swiss court last year for exploiting domestic staff at their Geneva residence.