Movers & Shakers
We see you: Natasha Poonawalla
This vaccine billionairess and philanthropist is also a regular at the racecourse—and on the fashion scene.
DP’s series of the people—young, old, and everyone in between—who most intrigue us.
Why we’re watching her: Poonawalla, 43, is the executive director of the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines. It’s a family affair: her hubbie, the Indian billionaire Adar Poonawalla, is the CEO. In her spare time, the mom of two also chairs the Villoo Poonawalla Foundation, working to bring healthcare to underserved communities.
Pedigree: Poonawalla grew up in Pune, Maharashtra. She told Vogue India, “I was not anywhere close to ambitious. The women around me were running homes and taking care of people.” She credits her stint at the London School of Economics, where she studied organizational behavior and change management, with opening her eyes to other possibilities. Poonawalla met her husband on vacation and, after trying long-distance, she moved back to India. The dynamic duo married in 2006.
Catch her in the wild: The Poonawallas are now based in London where, according to Luxury Launches, in 2023 they bought “the lavish Aberconway House—a 25,000-square-foot home from the 1920s near Hyde Park—for a staggering $177 million. The property is the second-most expensive home ever sold in London.” A fleet of private planes and helicopters makes traveling from the UK to their (massive) homes in India a breeze.
A stable life: She may be known as a clothes horse, but Poonawalla is just as passionate about racing horses. The Poonawalla’s “247-acre stud farmhouse in Pune, sprawling across nearly half the expanse of Monaco, is adorned with artwork by Picasso, Dali, Rembrandt, and Rubens,” according to Luxury Launches.
With friends like these: Poonawalla was seen twinning with Lauren Sanchez in Schiaparelli, and is regularly spotted at “the biggest fashion events across the world, hobnobbing with everyone from Priyanka Chopra Jonas to Katy Perry and designer Christian Louboutin,” according to the National News. “All my friends are working girls and guys,” she told Luxury Launches. “That’s the kind of people I’m attracted to.” Perhaps it was a working dinner when she was seen breaking bread with Prince William?
Party spirit animal: The grasshopper, known for wealth, innovation, and dynamic energy.
Prediction: We realize this is (currently) a controversial opinion, but we believe the vaccines—and the Poonawallas—are here to stay.
Hero image by Daniele Venturelli via Getty images
