Bhargava was born in Lucknow, India in 1953,[1][10] and in 1967, moved with his family to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.[11][12] Bhargava's father attended the Wharton School of Business in pursuit of a doctorate.[1][10] Bhargava won a math scholarship to an "elite private academy" called The Hill School, and after high school graduation attended Princeton University for one year in 1972.[10][11][13]
Career
After college, Bhargava returned to India and spent the next 12 years traveling to and from monasteries owned by the Hanslok Ashram.[11][12] During this period, Bhargava moved back and forth between the US and India and worked a variety of middle-class office and construction jobs.[14]
Bhargava returned to the US and joined his parents' plastic injection manufacturing company, Bhar Incorporated, located in New Haven, Indiana. In 1990 he purchased a company that produced parts for outdoor furniture.[13] He sold Prime PVC Inc. in 2006.[13][15] A subsequent company, Chemicalpartners.com, specialized in inventions and new ideas for business.[13]
Bhargava created Innovations Ventures LLC (dba Living Essentials LLC),[13] and launched 5-hour Energy in 2003.[1] By 2012, retail sales had grown to an estimated $1 billion.[1] Over time, Bhargava created additional entities or funds to support a variety of new ventures.[13] These included the capital venture company MicroDose Life Sciences,[16] a manufacturing venture laboratory called Stage 2 Innovations LLC,[17] a private equity fund called ETC Capital LLC, Plymouth Real Estate Holdings LLC[13][14] and Oakland Energy and Water Ventures.[18] In 2014, he financed a New York City-based film distribution company, Bleecker Street.[19]
Bhargava was interviewed on the ABC News show Nightline in September 2012.[20] That year, an article in Forbes magazine said Bhargava and his company, Innovations Ventures, had participated in up to 90 court cases[4] against competitors, suppliers[10] and associates[13] since 2003.[21] As of 2012, fourteen of those cases had been settled or dismissed.[21]
In 2012, he said in a Forbes interview “I’m probably the wealthiest Indian in America.”[22] In 2013, Forbes reported Bhargava's net worth to be $1.5 billion, but he was dropped from its list of billionaires in 2014.[11] Bhargava's 2015 documentary, Billions in Change, reports he has a net worth of over $4 billion,[23] while some news articles report the $4 billion figure to be unverified.[17][24]
Bhargava is a member of the Giving Pledge campaign.[25] In 2015, he pledged to give 99% of his wealth to philanthropic causes.[23] His foundations include the Hans Foundation[1][26] and Rural India Supporting Trust.[27] In 2016, Bhargava told National Geographic that he planned to distribute 10,000 of his stationary, power-generating bikes to rural homes and villages in India.[17]
In January 2022, Bhargava purchased 90% of Freelancer Television Broadcasting, including television network NewsNet and television stations WMNN-LD and WXII-LD through his company MBX Wyoming Inc.[28][29] In August 2024, the network abruptly laid off its entire staff of 80 workers and shut down.[30]
In 2023, Bhargava launched several hydration drink brands – True Hydration, Cellular Hydration, and Natural Glow Hydration.[31][32]
In August 2023, Bhargava acquired a majority stake in Ross Levinsohn's The Arena Group, owner of several magazine brands.[33]
Personal life
Bhargava is married, with one child, and lives in Farmington Hills, Michigan, US.[11]
