Gujarati Gold

From exile to empire: the minority that runs Britain

I.

A new dynasty is never founded without a struggle. Blood makes good manure.¹

To build parallel institutions we must learn from the Ugandan Asians. 

This group - primarily ethnic Gujaratis from India - were expelled from Uganda in 1972 by flailing dictator Idi Amin, in an attempt to capture their dominant position in Uganda’s economy. One Gujerati - Muljibhai Madhvani - was, at the peak of his wealth, responsible for 10% of Uganda’s GDP.

Despite persecution and the confiscation of their assets, this community has repeatedly generated billionaires, world leaders, and powerful dynasties. Britain took them in after the exodus from Uganda. African Asians now own more of London than the English, have the highest household income in the UK, and produced British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

They expertly maneuver as an ethnic block. They have parallel economies, power networks, dynasties, and deep ethnic loyalties. What are their strategies? What can we learn from an interrogation of their history? How can we replicate their success?

Mumtaz Madhvani / Idi Amin

Let’s start with the Madhvani dynasty.