By Admin 
India’s Richest Person: When India became independent, one name was far above the rest in terms of wealth. This name was Mir Osman Ali Khan. Mir Osman Ali Khan was the seventh and last Nizam of Hyderabad. He is often called the first billionaire of independent India. In 1937, Time magazine declared him the richest man in the world.
What was his net worth?
When his wealth was at its peak in the 1940s, his net worth was estimated at around $2 billion. This was about two percent of the US economy at that time. According to today’s value, it will be equal to approximately Rs 17 to 20 lakh crore.
Nizam ruled the princely state of Hyderabad. At that time it was one of the richest areas of India before independence. His treasury was full of gold, rare gemstones, precious antiques and a lot of land. His collection was so big that it is said that entire rooms were required to keep the jewelery and diamonds.
The man with 50 Rolls-Royce cars
Among his many things, there was also a huge collection of luxury vehicles. It is said that the Nizam had about 50 Rolls-Royce cars. These included the famous 1912 Silver Ghost. It is said that after feeling insulted by a Rolls-Royce salesman in London, he bought several vehicles and is said to have used some of them to collect garbage.
Jacob Diamond and other famous gems
One of his most famous possessions was the 185-carat Jacob Diamond. Its price now is around Rs 1000 crore. The surprising thing is that it is said that the Nizam had once used this precious stone as a paper weight. His treasure also included rare diamonds found from the historic Golconda mines.
Royal gifts and connections around the world
The Nizam’s wealth also extended to diplomatic work. He gifted a magnificent Cartier necklace and tiara containing more than 300 diamonds to Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her wedding. Not only this but he also played a big role in creating modern Hyderabad. He also helped in building institutions like Osmania University, big hospitals and India’s first airport in this area.
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