Meet Sabeer Bhatia, who revolutionized Email and made Rs 3,320 Crore in 18 Months, once linked to Aishwarya Rai, he is now…

Hotmail was launched on July 4, 1996, and soon became a global success, gaining 8.5 million users within just 18 months.

Written by: Victor Dasgupta Edited by: Victor Dasgupta

Updated: November 18, 2024, 7:48 AM IST

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https://www.india.com/business/sabeer-bhatia-aishwariya-rai-salman-khan-microsoft-hotmail-email-internet-jack-smith-jaxtrsms-arzoo-inc-net-worth-7400164/ Copy

Sabeer Bhatia

New Delhi: Sabeer Bhatia, an Indian-born entrepreneur, revolutionized email communication by creating Hotmail in 1996. Along with his business partner, Jack Smith, Bhatia introduced one of the earliest web-based email services. Hotmail offered users the unprecedented ability to access emails from any internet-connected device. Prior to this innovation, email services worldwide were limited to specific devices.

Hotmail was launched on July 4, 1996, and soon became a global success, gaining 8.5 million users within just 18 months.

Microsoft and Hotmail

The meteoric rise of Hotmail grabbed the attention of Microsoft, which saw its potential to dominate the emerging internet era. Microsoft, in 1997, acquired Hotmail for $400 million (equivalent to ₹2,950 crore today) after tough negotiations.

Bhatia later disclosed that although Hotmail had significant potential, he and Smith lacked the resources to match Microsoft’s capabilities. The acquisition enabled Hotmail to flourish and grow under the tech giant’s leadership.

Sabeer Bhatia: Personal life and his journey

• Sabeer Bhatia was born on December 30, 1968, in a Sindhi-Hindu family
• Bhatia married Tanya Sharma in 2008, and they have a daughter, Arianna. However, the couple divorced in 2013.
• Despite these setbacks, Bhatia maintains an impressive net worth of approximately Rs 1,660 crore.
• In 2001, reports suggested a rivalry between Bhatia and actor Salman Khan over actress Aishwarya Rai.
  Salman allegedly confronted Bhatia at a party, teasingly asking if he intended to marry Rai. Bhatia dismissed the rumors as media speculation.
• In 1997, After selling Hotmail, Bhatia worked at Microsoft for about a year before moving on to new ventures.
• He launched projects like JaxtrSMS, a messaging platform, and Arzoo Inc., an e-commerce firm.
• His most recent project, ShowReel, co-founded in 2021, uses AI-powered learning tools.