Rihanna to earn Ksh.1.3B for performing at wedding of the son of Asia's richest man

US pop superstar and beauty icon Rihanna, born Robyn Rihanna Fenty, is in India to perform at the star-studded pre-wedding ceremony of the son of Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani.

The ‘Umbrella’ singer, who gave birth to her second child in August, is slated to lead the elaborate pre-wedding ceremony's entertainment in honor of Ambani's younger son Anant and fiancee Radhika Merchant, the daughter of wealthy pharmaceutical moguls.

This will be her first public performance since last year's history-making Superbowl, Indian media reported.

National broadcaster India Today reported that the Barbadian-born musician and billionaire entrepreneur had been offered up to $9 million (Ksh.1.3 billion) to appear at the event.

Global tech bosses, industry titans, Bollywood and Hollywood royalty, pop icons and politicians are also due for the three-day gala celebrations hosted by the billionaire tycoon.

Photos published by Indian media confirmed the arrival of not just Rihanna but also that of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan in Ambani's hometown of Jamnagar.

Wednesday, the family launched a three-day feast for villagers at the Reliance Township in Jamnagar, in India's western state of Gujarat.

Anant Ambani, 28, who also serves as a director on the boards of several Reliance-owned firms, is expected to marry Radhika Merchant, 29, in July. 

Ambani held the most expensive wedding to date in India for his daughter in 2018, which reportedly cost $100 million (Ksh.14.6 billion) and saw US pop megastar Beyonce perform.

US illusionist David Blaine is also expected to be part of the entertainment for guests, who include Microsoft founder Bill Gates and several current and former political leaders.

The nearly 1,200-person guest list will also include Ivanka Trump, daughter of former US President Donald Trump, as well as Sweden's ex-prime minister Carl Bildt, former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper and the King of Bhutan.

The main celebrations, running until Sunday, 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 invitation says guests will start each day with a new dress code, with mood boards and an army of hair stylists, makeup artists and Indian wear designers at their hotel to help them prepare.

Ambani, 66, is chairman of oil-to-telecoms giant Reliance Industries and the is the world's 10th-richest person according to the Forbes billionaires list, worth more than $116 billion. Forbes has declared him the richest man in Asia.