Indian business tycoon, Ness Wadia is the heir to the 283-year-old company Wadia Group. Elder son of Nusli Wadi and Maureen Wadia, Ness is the Managing Director of Bombay Bumrah Trading Corporation and co-owner of Indian Premier League cricket team, Punjab Kings. Ness is one of the wealthiest businessmen in India.
Born into a Parsi family in Mumbai, Ness completed an M.Sc in Engineering Management from the University of Warwick and joined Bombay Dyeing in 2001. Ness currently serves as Director on Boards of various Wadia Group companies such as Britannia, Bombay Dyeing, GoAir and Wadia Techno Engineering Services.
Ness Wadia recently grabbed the limelight after actress and co-owner of the Punjab Kings, Preity Zinta filed a case against co-directors Mohit Burman and Ness Wadia in a Chandigarh court. She challenged the legality of an Extraordinary General Meeting held in April 2025. She claimed that although she objected the meeting, but it was ignored.
Well, this is not the first time that Ness has been embroiled in a controversy. Let us read on to know more about the 53-year-old scion of the Wadia group and his once tryst with controversies.
Ness Wadia is the great-grandson of Pakistan’s founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Though many aspects of Ness’ life are known to the public, very few people know that the business tycoon shares a close connection with Pakistan’s founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Ness Wadia is the son of a business giant, Nusli Wadia, and former air hostess and Editor of Gladrags Maureen Wadia.
Ness’ grandparents were Neville Wadia and Dina Wadia. Dina was the daughter of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, which makes him the great-grandfather of Ness.
Ness Wadia’s long-time affair with Preity Zinta
Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia’s affair rumours started in the early 2000s, and finally, in 2005, the actress made her relationship with the business tycoon official. From events and matches to the wedding of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, Preity and Ness were spotted together everywhere. They often posed for the shutterbugs and never hid their relationship.
Preity openly talked about her relationship with Ness Wadia during interviews. When she was quizzed about her romance with Ness on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, she stated:
“We don’t hide our relationship from the media. We go for parties together, we go to have coffee in Barista, we go for pizzas together… But I don’t talk about him or talk about how I feel. What do I say? Those are feelings I cherish.”
Preity Zinta pressed molestation charges on Ness Wadia
When we thought everything was going honky dory in their relationship, the couple made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Preity and Ness had parted ways in 2009 after Ness Wadia had allegedly slapped her at a party. In 2014, Preity accused Ness of physical molestation and abuse. In her complaint, Preity stated:
“For some time we have ended our relationship. Although we are the co-owners of our team ‘Kings XI Punjab’, but we are no longer in a relationship and only talk for professional reasons and work. During that time he tried to abuse me and used extremely derogatory language and tried to behave in a manner where I was put to shame in front of my colleagues, friends and family.”
Ness Wadia filed a countercase on Preity, and the duo dragged each other to court. Later, in 2018, Ness had apologised to Preity, and she withdrew the case.
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