Billionaire Yusuf Hamied

Overview

Yusuf Hamied is an Indian billionaire and the Chairman of Cipla, a multinational pharmaceutical company founded by his father in 1935. Hamied is known for his contributions to making essential medicines affordable and available to people in developing countries. He is also a philanthropist and has been actively involved in various charitable endeavors.

Early Life and Education

Hamied was born on July 25, 1936, in Vilnius, Lithuania, to Indian parents who were studying medicine at the time. He grew up in Mumbai, India, where he attended the Cathedral and John Connon School. He went on to pursue a degree in chemistry at the University of Cambridge, UK, where he also obtained a PhD in organic chemistry.

Career and Achievements

After completing his education, Hamied returned to India to work for Cipla, the company founded by his father. He started out as a research and development chemist and later took over as the company’s Managing Director. Under Hamied’s leadership, Cipla focused on providing affordable medicines for diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Hamied is known for his role in making anti-HIV drugs available in developing countries at a fraction of the cost of those sold by Western pharmaceutical companies. In 2001, he offered to sell a cocktail of three anti-HIV drugs to sub-Saharan African countries for $1 a day, a fraction of the cost of similar drugs sold by other companies.

In addition to his work at Cipla, Hamied has been involved in various philanthropic activities. He is a member of The Giving Pledge, a commitment by some of the world’s wealthiest individuals to give the majority of their wealth to charitable causes.

Hamied has received numerous awards for his contributions to public health and philanthropy. In 2013, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian honors, for his services to the pharmaceutical industry.

Personal Life

Hamied is married and has two children. He is known for his love of music and is a trained pianist. In his free time, he enjoys playing the instrument and has even performed in public concerts.

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