Raj Kundra Reveals Secret Behind His Investment

Raj Kundra revealed in a recent interview that his investment in Rajasthan Royals was originally intended as a lavish Valentine’s Day gift for his wife, Shilpa Shetty. Speaking on the SMTV YouTube channel, he said he purchased an 11.7 percent stake in the franchise in 2009 for ₹81.9 crore, shortly after the team won the inaugural Indian Premier League title. Kundra described it as the largest single-cheque investment in the IPL at the time, driven by his confidence in Shilpa’s brand value and the league’s future growth.

However, his association with the franchise ended after the 2013 betting controversy, which led to his ban, a decision he still claims was unfair. Despite this setback, Kundra highlighted the remarkable financial growth of the investment. He noted that the team’s valuation was around ₹700 crore in 2009, which has now surged to nearly ₹16,000 crore. He termed it one of the most lucrative investments ever, calling it possibly the most expensive Valentine’s Day gift in history.