Sunny Varkey is the founder and executive chairman of the global advisory and educational management firm GEMS Education. The company is the largest operator of private kindergarten-to-grade-12 schools in the world.
The billionaire is a non-resident Indian, Dubai-based education entrepreneur, and philanthropist.
Sunny Varkey’s life and education
Born on April 9, 1957, in Kerala’s Ranni, Sunny Varkey’s parents were Kerala Syrian Christians and educators. In 1959, the family shifted to Dubai and his father got a job at the British Bank of the Middle East (now HSBC Bank Middle East). His parents used to teach English to local Arabs and the children of the royal family.
Sunny Varkey received his formal education at the Infant Jesus Anglo-Indian Boys’ School. In 1970, he returned to Dubai and went to St. Mary’s Catholic High School to complete his O-Levels. It was at Bembridge School in the UK where he pursued his A-Levels.
At the age of 11, Sunny Varkey sold fruits on the side of the road to make a little extra money.
Sunny Varkey’s career
In 1968, Sunny Varkey’s parents founded Our Own English High School in Dubai to teach children of migrants. Sunny Varkey started his career at Standard Chartered Bank. He then opened a small trading company and also became part owner of the Dubai Plaza Hotel. He also ventured into the healthcare industry. However, he soon closed all his businesses to focus on the school that was started by his parents. He started offering education under different curricula: Indian (CBSE and ICSE), U.S., British, and International Baccalaureate.
In 2000, Sunny Varkey established Global Education Management Systems (GEMS). He opened a school in England in 2003. There has been no looking back ever since then. In 2004, he expanded the business in India and opened a school. For the unversed, the GEMS group operates in Libya, Jordan, the US, Switzerland, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt, and Singapore.
The entrepreneur also chairs the umbrella business organisation the Varkey Group. He is the founder and trustee of the philanthropic Varkey Foundation.
Sunny Varkey’s net worth
Sunny Varkey has an estimated net worth of $3 billion, as per Forbes.