Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan were seen admiring Anant Ambani’s $1 million watch during at lavish pre-wedding party branded ‘enchanting’ by fellow attendee Ivanka Trump.
The couple were left in awe over the luxury Richard Mille timepiece sported by Indian billionaire Ambani, 28, at the festivities which cost an estimated $120 million.
‘You know I never really wanted a watch but after seeing that I was like, “watches are cool”,’ Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says as his wife jokes that she, ‘might want that.’
They were among the star studded guest list at the pre-wedding celebrations of Ambani and fiancée Radhika Merchant’s at Ambani’s parents’ home in Jamnagar, India, this weekend.
Video showed the couple examining the watch as they mingled with other guests at the plush event, whose VIP guestlist includes Bill Gates and Hillary Clinton.
Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan were seen admiring Anant Ambani’s $1 million watch during at lavish pre-wedding party
The spectacular festivities were attended by the likes of Ivanka Trump as a pre-wedding celebration for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant
The guestlist of 1,000 people included VIP names such as Ivanka, along with Bill Gates and Hillary Clinton
Bride and groom-to-be Anant Ambani (right) with Radhika Merchant at the inauguration of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in March 2023
The watch is believed to be a $1 million Richard Mille RMS-10 Tourbillon Koi Fish watch which features 8K rose gold and bezel set diamonds
‘This watch is fantastic,’ Chan tells Ambani as she leans in to get a closer look.
‘I know, I told him that already,’ Zuckerberg chimes in, before his wife adds that the piece is ‘so cool.’
The timepiece is one of several Anant owns by exclusive watchmaker Richard Mille and is believed to be the RMS-10 Tourbillon Koi Fish and features 18K rose gold and bezel set diamonds.
Zuckerberg – who has a net worth of $176.1 billion – and his wife were among an illustrious array of guests attending three days of festivities hosted by billionaire tycoon Mukesh Ambani for his son.
Anant, 28, is due to marry Merchant, the daughter of wealthy pharmaceutical moguls, in July.
Their VIP guests include Ivanka and her family, as well as Bollywood legends Salman Khan Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif.
Ivanka shared jaw-dropping pictures and video of the celebrations, which featured a spectacular firework display and elephants.
Ivanka shared a sweet snap of her and daughter Arabella, 12, enjoying the opulent festivities
The three-day extravaganza saw guests including Ivanka and husband Jared Kushner jet out to Jamnagar, Gujarat, in India
The extravaganza is reported to have cost more than $150 million and was kicked off with a performance by Rihanna
Ivanka shared video of the bride making her way down the aisle while being photographed by her guests
She rose to the opulence of the occasion, adopting a stunning, traditional Indian two-piece ensemble in a shade of chartreuse.
Her mini-me daughter Arabella, 12, chose to compliment her mom in a strapless yellow gown.
Ivanka shared a sweet video of the two of them perched on a swing, as well as a picture with husband Jared Kushner.
Posting the photos to Instagram, Ivanka called the festivities ‘enchanting’.
The extravaganza is reported to have cost more than $150 million and was kicked off with a performance by Rihanna, who is believed to have been paid $6.3 million for a two-hour performance.
In one of the clips she could be seen singing her 2011 megahit collaboration with Calvin Harris titled We Found Love and she could be seen dancing.
For Anant’s sister’s wedding in 2018, the family is said to have paid Beyonce $6m to fly in and perform a private concert for guests.
Bride-to-be Merchant, 29, is the daughter of billionaire Shri Viren Merchant, who is the CEO of private health firm Encore Healthcare.
Meanwhile, Ambani, 28, is the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man and the managing director of Reliance Industries, which has a revenue of $110bn.
Bill Gates and Paula Hurd were among the VIP guests at the three day extravaganza
Zuckerberg speaks with Gates and Hurd during pre-wedding celebrations of Ambani and Merchant
Actor Katrina Kaif, her husband and actor Vicky Kaushal, actor Ranveer Singh and his wife and actor Deepika Padukone pose during pre-wedding celebrations
Ivanka branded the celebrations ‘enchanting’ in a post on her Instagram
The invite for the pre-wedding celebrations – which have been widely circulating on social media – read: ‘With hearts full of joy and excitement, we invite you to the pre-wedding celebrations of Anant and Radhika at our home in Jamnagar.
‘We look forward to having you with us to share in our joy, love, and laughter, and create memories that we’ll cherish forever.’
Several stars of the sporting world were on the invite list including India’s former cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his wife Sakshi Dhoni, Australian cricketer Tim David and his wife Stephanie Kershaw and West Indies’s former cricket captain Dwayne Bravo.
Top businessmen, including Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock, were also in attendance.
And it would seem that there is a strict dress code to follow for guests taking part in the lavish wedding warm-up.
On Friday night, the happy couple’s loved ones enjoyed an ‘evening in everland’-themed cocktail party on the premises.
The following day, they were told to wear ‘comfortable shoes’ to take a ‘walk on the wild side’ by visiting the groom’s Reliance animal rescue center, which spans 650 acres and homes more than 2,000 animals.
That evening, the couple hosted their ‘Mela Rogue’ and guests have been told to dress in a ‘dazzling desi romance’ style.
Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock. arrives at the pre-wedding bash
Mukesh Ambani, the Chairman of Reliance Industries, his wife Nita Ambani and their son Anant Ambani
The event has featured several high profile performances including by actors Salman Khan, Ram Charan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan
Rihanna kicked off the festivities with a two hour performance for which she was reportedly paid $6.3 million
India’s former cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his wife Sakshi Dhoni also attended the welcome cocktail party
Indian businesswoman Natasha Poonawalla wore a statement silver metal top over her glittering dress
On the third day, guests were told to pack something ‘casual chic’ for the Tusker Trails to explore the local area.
The final event was a Hashtakshar, which translates as ‘signature,’ and guests were expected to wear traditional clothing, such as sherwanis and sarees.
In India, wedding ceremonies tend to last several days and feature multiple outfit changes.
Footage showed Ivanka learning a traditional Indian dance as part of the glittering festivities.
Ivanka joined other female guests for a performance of the dance, which is known as dandiya and involves gyrating while hitting colorful wooden sticks against each other in rhythmic beats.
Also known as the ‘garba’, the dance originates from the western Indian state of Gujrat and is performed at religious and other special occasions.
In a speech at the event, Merchant told her guests she was ‘so humbled’ that they had travelled to the couple’s home from around the world.
She also revealed the weekend’s itinerary was a total surprise planned by her mother-in-law to be.
‘We have been extremely, extremely indulged,’ Merchant said, as she thanked her future in-laws as well as her own family for their generosity.
She explained the couple selected Jamnagar as the venue for the celebrations as it is where they ‘met, grew up and fell in love’ and where they plan to spend their future.
She told her future husband she was ‘so proud’ of him and pledged to be his partner for life.
The main celebrations, running from March 1-3, will have different themes, events and dress codes – including a ‘jungle fever’ day with a visit to an animal rescue centre run by Ambani, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported.
The couple are hosting 1,000 VIPs who will be housed in specially arranged five-star facilities just outside the city of Jamnagar in the state of Gujrat, western India.
Hundreds of staff will be on hand to look after them with a series of penthouses and villas renovated for the occasion.
More than 100 chefs are also being flown in to cater for them and will prepare 500 dishes over the three days, ranging from traditional India food to Mexican, Chinese and European.
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