Rakesh Gangwal
Overview
- Source of Wealth
- Airline
- Industry
- Service
- Residence
- Miami, Florida
- Education
- Indian Institute of Technology (Bachelor of Science in Engineering)University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School (Master of Business Administration)
- Marital Status
- Married
- Children
- 1
Assets
- InterGlobe Aviation30,196,000 shares @ --539448-IN
- Southwest Airlines3,611,000 shares @ --LUV-US
Biography
Airline veteran Rakesh Gangwal owes his fortune to InterGlobe Aviation, the parent outfit of budget airline IndiGo, India's largest by market share.
Gangwal started his airline career with United Airlines in 1984 and went on to run US Airways Group as its chief executive and chairman.
Gangwal cofounded IndiGo, headquartered outside Delhi, with Rahul Bhatia (also a billionaire) in 2006 with one aircraft.
The Miami resident resigned from the company's board in 2022 and said he would gradually sell his stock over the next five years.
Gangwal was named chairman of Southwest Airlines in November 2024. He resigned from that role in August 2025 but remains on the board.
About
The Indian-born mechanical engineer studied at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur before getting his M.B.A. at Wharton.
He and his wife paid $30 million for a Miami mansion that previously belonged to billionaire Charles Johnson.
Gangwal and IndiGo cofounder Bhatia had a bitter falling out in 2019 over corporate governance issues. Their dispute reached courts in London, Florida and Maryland.