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Sadruddin Hashwani is a business tycoon, a self-made billionaire. With a net worth of 1.5 billion dollars, he is the wealthiest man in Pakistan. A towering figure in Pakistan’s business community, he is the Founder and Chairman of Hashoo Group, a conglomerate with a gigantic range of business in hospitality, information technology, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, mining, and trading, best known for its five-star hotels and resorts (Marriot and Pearl Continental Hotels).
Boast Magazine had the privilege to interview Mr. Sadruddin Hashwani.
Where were you born?
I was born in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1940; my ancestors had migrated from Iran to Lasbela, Baluchistan, in 1840. I have spent a major part of my life, including childhood, in an area called Lassi at Lea Market, Karachi. My parents wanted me to be a doctor, but studies never interested me. I was a keen sportsman in college days; I used to play cricket seven days a week, hence failed to do well in academics and was expelled from the college.
Sadruddin Hashwani
Tell us about your overall business career journey, and how you got to this point?
I was very ambitious and a dream viewer since my childhood. I have read no book about Business; it was in my DNA. A college dropout, in 1958, I started my career as a tiny businessman, a transportation contractor, and travelled the entirety of Baluchistan on the back of a truck, often in temperatures below zero.
In 1965, I shifted to cotton trading and established a trading company “Hassan Ali and Company” alongside my older brother. We started with a small order of 2900 bales. The cotton giants used to joke about us and reacted to newcomers like us with disgust. But in three years, business flourished, and we were the number one exporter in cotton. In the same decade, we were acknowledged as the “Cotton Kings” and our company, besides being the leading exporters of rice, barley, wheat, pulses, and other commodities, had become the largest cotton trading company in Pakistan.
In the aftermath of Bhutto’s nationalization drive in 1973, I diverted my resources towards other business like the hotel industry, real estate, trading, property development and industrial ventures. In 1973, I ventured into the five-star hotel business and launched Holiday Inn Hotel in Islamabad in 1978, Holiday Inn Karachi followed in 1981. I converted both hotels into the Marriott brand in the 1990s.
In 1985, I bought the majority shares in Pakistan Services Limited, which then owned four five-star Inter-Continental Hotels and was the largest five-star hotel chain across Pakistan, I rebranded them as Pearl-Continental Hotels.
It has been a rocky road to the top. I used to work 18 hours a day and 362 days a year; I have worked vigorously hard all my life. I was extremely consistent in my routine, work never bored me. From rags to riches, I have fought petty bureaucrats, megalomaniacal presidents, suffered near-death experiences, and lived for six years in exile. I was put on the ECL (Exit Control List) 11 times by different governments. To borrow the words of that famed Frank Sinatra song, “I did it my way”.
What are the values you hold important in your life?
Determination, faith, fear of God, and honesty are the values I have upheld all the life. I believe my success has come against the odds because of my strong faith, blessings of the almighty, and my forefathers. People have forgotten death, religion, and most of all, the fear of God. Once they fear ALLAH and death, they will do what is right and true. Since childhood, I have always spoken the truth, fought for what is right; I still stand and speak for what is just, and I will do so till my last breath. I fear no one except ALLAH. My faith has given me the courage to live honest and truthful on my terms, and without fear.
Nishan-i-Imtiaz-Ceremony
What gives you joy?
Charity and serving the community give me the ultimate pleasure. I have committed my life to CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities; it was the reason I established the Hashoo Foundation in 1988. The Hashoo Foundation is a non-denominational NGO Based in Pakistan. With schemes across Pakistan in Economic Development, Health, Education, Skills Development, Special Needs, and Emergency Relief, millions of people have benefited from it from different walks of life.
How were your days in the past?
In our days, word of mouth was more supreme than any written contract amongst various business parties. I grew up in the early years of independence, in the 1950s when the idealism of our founding fathers was with us. We were an innocent and accepting society then, and had a rose-tinted vision for Pakistan and Pakistanis.
Looking back at my childhood, I can find nothing but appreciation for my remarkable parents. I owe my successes to my mother’s prayers. She had the biggest influence on me. I never disobeyed her. From my father I learned humanity, he was calm and polite to a fault, always smiling and never complaining, not even in the midst of the most difficult crises.
Today running or building a hotel from scratch, seeing it emerge from nothingness into a splendid artefact takes me back to those childhood days, yet again I am walking through my dreams.
Why do you think charities are important?
One shouldn’t be a slave of money or material things. Whatever I have earned from Pakistan is an Amanaامانت (bailment), and I have invested it for the betterment of Pakistan and its People, as that is right and true to my soul and me. I believe sharing is happiness, and the almighty has accorded me to help the poor. The less privileged have a stake in what I have earned; It is in our faith to look after our fellow human beings. Serving to the community is Ibadatعبادت (worshipping God).
What is the meaning of success for you?
My life from rags to conglomerate was a constant struggle. Faith in ALLAH has given me a lot of strength. Islam has the guidance of a successful business -–it’s a way of life. Success to me is peace of mind: the fulfilment of being a self-made man, to build and sustain an extensive business empire, by just and honest ways during discouraging circumstances against corrupt politicians and uncooperative government officials.
Which country do you prefer to live in?
Pakistan is my homeland, I was born here, and I will live here till my last breath. Pakistan has given me everything, and whatever I am today is because of Pakistan, Pakistan is like an umbrella for me. I choose to live in Pakistan because Pakistan, to me, is not just a country. It’s my emotion; it’s my love affair. I have always fought for it, and I always will. I will never leave Pakistan for anything else on this planet.
What do you think is necessary for a satisfied life?
The generosity that ALLAH had showered upon me has given me more than what I deserved or dreamt of. ALLAH has allowed me to fulfil my fantasies and dreams, to indulge myself in the best possible manner. A satisfied Zameer (subconscious) is a criterion of a satisfying life. Earning Riazaq Halal (wealth gain or earned without cheating or stealing) and doing something for humanity has given me that satisfied subconscious.
What does material wealth mean to you?
The money can’t buy you happiness; with money you can purchase comfort, but not a peace of mind. I have seen many unhappy people with billions of dollars. I will depart with empty hands; there will be no money, no wealth, no material possessions, no children, no worldly associations and bonds to keep me company; this doesn’t scare me. The love of God has vanished all the fears.
Do you like luxury or simplicity?
I live and love a simple life. I have no desire to sit in a Rolls-Royce or Mercedes. I still drive a Toyota car. I am living a simple life. God has been very kind to me, and he has rewarded my hardships. I am a faqeer (a person free from material things) on the inside. Worldly things don’t fascinate me anymore. I can survive on Daal Roti (a simple diet). I consider myself a musafirمسافر (traveller) in this material world. I stay in a simple room in my hotels. I don’t drink or gamble. I have no personal ambitions; I am more than happy with what ALLAH has given me.
What do you think is the way out of the current crisis?
Coronavirus is a global epidemic that needs international cooperation; the entire world has to face this challenge with unity. This is a historical test for global cooperation. The virus has devastated both the developed and underdeveloped countries; we have lost a million lives to the virus and essential health services are disrupted for millions, millions of jobs are at risk.
We should launch awareness campaigns across the world to combat this pandemic; by observing strict adherence to the preventative measures we can defeat the virus. We must take preventative measures to stop the further spread of the coronavirus; it is the time that everyone should not only protect himself with adopting preventative measures but also protect others, assuming it as a national duty.
Sadruddin Hashwani
What can you tell us about yourself and your personality?
My life is full of miracles. I am brave and bold by nature. With the power of persuasion, I have built my business empire. I am a prodigious observer and learner; I have a firm belief in destiny and the will of God. I have neither bribed someone nor compromised on my principles. I have been a fighter throughout my adult life and career; I have fought what I considered to be injustice, unfair regulation, and inequitable administration. I have never backed down from a commitment, my credibility is my faith.
I wish to inspire the youth and tell them they can challenge any odds by sheer determination and perseverance, build a solid future, and a just society that their countrymen truly deserve. By investing in their success and future, they can one day give back to their brethren, which is the power of the common man. Nations and societies are built by their middle and working classes, striving honestly, day after day, to make a better life.
What do you think about today’s world?
I am almost 80. I have seen a lot in my time on earth. There are certainly some amazing advances in technology. Our planet has become a global village. When I was a kid, there was no internet or cell phones. We did not know about anything going on in the world. Now everything is just a Google search away.
However, I also see the internet and social media have made people a lot more self-absorbed than they used to be.
One of the most adverse changes that have happened to our society during my lifetime is the tendency toward greed, materialism, and selfishness. The more greedy and self-absorbed we are, the less we care about others. Over time, norms and traditions are losing their existence in the modern era. Instead of cooperation, our society is becoming just a mass of individuals focused on themselves. With the rapid decline in morals, I wonder what society will be 25 years from now. The modern world needs more love, cooperation, and altruism.
If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting, what would it be?
Anyone with the right attitude can succeed in life. As long as you have the right intentions, determination, and speak the truth, God has a way of taking care of you. It takes luck and pluck to convert adversity into opportunity. If you have faith in yourself, cerebral qualities and a willingness to work hard you can overcome any odds on this planet.
Mr. Hashwani, entirely a self-made, contented human being, has founded, nourished, and sustained Pakistan’s leading collection of hotels with world-class hospitality and comfort standards, spread across Pakistan. This would be considered an exceptionally high level of business success anywhere globally, but especially in Pakistan’s unstable political and social climate and chronically struggling economy.
In his rise to business stardom, Sadruddin Hashwani has lived a significant life that offers many lessons, from sleeping in the back of trucks in Baluchistan’s cold deserts to now owning a brand of luxury hotels and numerous other businesses. Sadruddin Hashwani has led a remarkable and inspirational life. He has struggled against corrupt politicians and uncooperative government officials to build and sustain an extensive business empire. He has faced near-death experiences, most remarkably during the 2008 bombing of his hotel, the Marriott Islamabad, and has overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.
To recognize his achievements and outstanding services for the country, Sadruddin Hashwani was honoured with Pakistan’s top civilian award: Nishan-e-Imtiaz (the Order of Excellence) in 2019. He has been the only businessman to receive this prestigious award.
In 2014, Mr. Hashwani published his best-selling memoir, “Truth Always Prevails”.
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