In a nation where flashy displays of wealth often dominate headlines, Manilal Premchand “Manu” Chandaria stands out as a quiet force of enduring success. At 96 years old (as of 2025), the Kenyan-born industrialist of Indian descent is one of the country’s wealthiest individuals.
Manu Chandaria’s personal net worth is not publicly disclosed by him or his companies, as he has emphasized the private nature of family-owned businesses.
However, based on recent estimates from business publications and rankings as of 2025:$1.7 billion USD:
This figure is cited in multiple sources ranking him as Kenya’s richest individual. For context, this equates to approximately KSh 220 billion (using an exchange rate of ~KSh 130 per USD). It reflects his stakes in Comcraft and related ventures, including global exports and manufacturing plants.
Despite being one of the richest men in Kenya, he never walks with any cash and only has one pair of shoes.
He is comfortable with wearing one pair of shoes worthy KSh 6,000 and uses a simple mobile phone. Even with business meetings being his order of the day, Raval makes do with four suits and six neckties. According to the family man, marriage has played a big role in helping him ascend to the height he is at
In addition to spending millions of shillings annually on scholarships, he has pledged to donate half of his wealth to charities focused on health and education, as well as social programs aimed at assisting less fortunate members of Kenyan society.
According to the family man, marriage has played a big role in helping him ascend to the height he is at. “You become close friends the longer you stay together, raising children, and working towards something important for both of you,” he told Jackson Biko.
He added that his wife worked with him at their shop in Gikomba when he was just getting into entrepreneurship and the business grew on them sharing ideas.