Ishara Nanayakkara has emerged as Sri Lanka’s wealthiest individual in 2025, surpassing long-time business magnate Dhammika Perera, according to Gulf News.

Nanayakkara’s net worth is estimated to be around $ 1.6 billion, placing him at the top of the country’s rich list.

As Chairperson of LOLC Holdings, a diversified financial services and investment conglomerate with operations in more than 10 countries, Nanayakkara has been instrumental in driving the group’s rapid international expansion, particularly in global microfinance and insurance sectors.

LOLC Holdings PLC is currently the fourth-largest listed company in Sri Lanka by market capitalisation, while LOLC Finance PLC and Browns Investments PLC also rank among the top 15 companies on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), according to the latest CSE data.

Meanwhile, in the broader South Asian context, the region’s wealth landscape is still dominated by India’s Mukesh Ambani, whose $ 118 billion fortune is nearly 10 times greater than the next richest, Shahid Khan, and far surpasses the combined wealth of top tycoons in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.