Lakshmi Mittal
Industry: Athletics
Title: Founder
Organization: Mittal Champions Trust
Considered the richest man in Britain with an estimated net worth of over 22 billion pounds ($32 billion), the India-born, Britain-based CEO of steelmaker ArcelorMittal also plays a pivotal role in India's ongoing quest for Olympic gold.
According to Mittal, the goal of the Mittal Champions Trust is to identify, support and enhance the performance of talented up-and-coming Indian athletes in six sports: track and field, shooting, wrestling, archery, boxing, and squash. The trust started in 2005 when Mittal was both inspired by and disappointed with India's single-medal win at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Now, the trust, which started with an initial funding of $9 million, supports over 60 Indian athletes, including rifle shooter Abhinav Bindra, who won the country's first Olympic gold medal in over 25 years at the 2008 Beijing Olympic games. The next goal? Bring home at least five medals from the 2012 Olympics in London.
NEXT: Indrani Medhi
Last updated June 17 2010: 5:11 PM ET
